A piece of land on Donald Avenue is being donated to the City of Moncton.

It’s the site of the Sunny Brae rink that was destroyed by fire in 1928.

City Council voted 10 to 1 in favour of accepting the gift from landowners Ernest Boudreau and Raymonde Thibodeau.

There are conditions, though. These include installing fencing around the site and removing unsafe sections of the ruins. These would have to happen before the transfer of ownership.

The City would also like to preserve a west-facing section of the ruins, around 20 to 30 feet in length, to be determined by an Independent Engineering Consultant for safety reasons. Interpretive panels would be installed as a part of the Pan-Acadie trail boardwalk construction, all at a cost of up to $175, 000.

“This is something we’ve been talking about since I was elected. There were visits during Heritage Week, we went to visit the site. This is a historically recognized site. So this is an important part of Moncton’s heritage. I hope we can tell this story with panels, or whatever design that we decide to go with. I think this was the first Arena in Moncton, if I’m not mistaken,” Deputy Mayor Paulette Theriault told City Councillors.

Councillor Charles Leger suggested perhaps the remnants of the ruins could be recycled somehow instead of going to landfill. He also recommended that staff come back to Moncton City Council with a plan in that regard.

According to online files from the Moncton Museum, the Sunny Brae rink was designed and constructed by R. C. Donald in 1921 and 1922. It was inspired by Roman arena designs, such as the Coliseum.

The roof burned in a devastating fire on February 26, 1928.  The ruins have remained on site since then.