Photos by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57
Ted Reeve Community Arena
175 Main Street
Toronto, ON M4E 2W2
Year Opened: 1954
Capacity: 1,350
Life’s a Beach
East of Downtown Toronto, the historic neighbourhood of The Beaches can be found. In the Beaches community, lacrosse has a deep and storied history. It is possible that the Toronto Beaches Lacrosse Club dates back to one of the first field lacrosse games in Toronto in 1867. The formal history of the club dates back to 1915. The Beaches played a Junior B box lacrosse circuit from 1979 to 1983. The modern Toronto Beaches joined the Junior A loop in 1991, folded in 1997 and restarted in 1998. Success has been fleeting for the Beaches in the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League, but they did make two Iroquois Trophy Final appearances in 2002 against the St. Catharines Athletics and 2022 against the Whitby Warriors.
The home for the Toronto Beaches is definitely a community experience in The Beaches. The Ted Reeve Community Arena is a hub for the community. Built in 1954, Ted Reeve Arena has a long, illustrious hockey history. It is named in honour of Ted Reeve, who lived his entire life in The Beaches. Ted Reeve served in World War I and won two Grey Cups as a football player, and a Mann Cup as a lacrosse player. He also won three Yates Cups at Queen’s University as a coach. He is a member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and was well established as a writer.
Food & Beverage 3
The west end of the Ted Reeve Arena has an enclosed snack bar and seating area that looks out to the floor. Burgers, hot dogs, fries, bagels, popcorn, chips and chocolate bars are all on the menu. Pepsi products, Gatorade, water, and smoothies are the soft drink options, as well as a full coffee bar. Inside the arena in the southwest corner, beer and water is also sold.
Atmosphere 3
The Ted Reeve Arena is part of a larger community park which includes a sizable playground and ball diamonds. The building is definitely on the older side and the exterior is fairly nondescript with a large sign over the west entrance. Light brick and a rounded roof delineate the exterior features. A large mural is painted on the east side of the building near the parking lot. A memorial stone is found at the west side commemorating Ted Reeve and his contributions to sport.
Upon entering at the west side, patrons are greeted with a massive painted mural honouring the arena's hockey and lacrosse history along with Ted Reeve. Once tickets have been purchased at the temporary table at the entrance, fans will head to the arena concourse. Immediately the history of the Ted Reeve Arena will become obvious with numerous trophy cases filled with trophies and memorabilia that go back decades. Unfortunately for the lacrosse fan, everything is focused on the vast hockey tradition at the arena. There are some Toronto Beaches markings around the arena, including two large banners on either side of the east end scoreboard. The roof of the arena is a simple arched roof with silver insulation, seen in so many arenas around Ontario. The floor runs from east to west and the north side of the floor is the spot to be for a centre logo picture. With playing surfaces not exactly consistent in the OJLL, Ted Reeve Arena features a polished concrete floor, which is not the greatest.
The seating bowl encircles the entire floor and has 3 rows of old, plastic, stadium seats. The seats are actually from Exhibition Stadium, which was the former home of the Toronto Argonauts and Toronto Blue Jays. There is no rhyme or reason to the numbering of the seats in Ted Reeve Arena.
The gameday production at a Toronto Beaches game is very simple. There is no music during gameplay like is normally seen in the National Lacrosse League. The PA system is very good and it is easy to hear announcements.
Neighbourhood 5
Ted Reeve Arena is located in the Upper Beaches neighbourhood of Toronto, surrounded by Main Street, Gerrard Street and Ted Reeve Drive. It is just east of what would normally be considered Downtown. There are a number of places to eat and drink in the immediate area. Some places include Bodega Henriette, Beach Hill Smokehouse, Red Tape Brewery and Prologue Cafe.
For sports fans, Toronto is heaven. There are a tremendous number of sports options. Just west of Ted Reeve Arena are the homes of the Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Raptors, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Marlies, Toronto Argonauts and Toronto FC. The University of Toronto is just north and home of the Varsity Blues (hockey, football, basketball) and Toronto Metropolitan University, home of the Bold (hockey, basketball) and further north is York University, home of the Lions (basketball, hockey, football). For fans of lacrosse, the OJLL’s Mimico Mountaineers home, Mimico Arena, is a short drive away. Also, Toronto Maple Leafs baseball can be seen for free during summer months. Other tourist options in the Beaches neighbourhood are Balmy Beach Park, and Woodbine Beach. Of course there are other tourist options in the City. For fans who wish to stay near the arena, the Toronto Don Valley Hotel & Suites is close.
Fans 3
It is difficult to assess the fan support of OJLL venues as the league does not publish attendance figures. At the game that was reviewed there were a fair number of fans and considering the Monday Night schedule, the number of fans was higher than expected. There are a number of minor lacrosse players in attendance and players are granted free entry.
Access 4
Ted Reeve Arena is located in the Upper Beaches neighbourhood of Toronto. Adjacent to Downtown Toronto, it is not the easiest place to drive to. Traffic can be a big challenge coming from the east, west or north. There is some free parking on the site of the arena, but with plenty going on with the ball diamonds and two arenas, a plan to be at the arena early is a good one. For fans wishing to take public transit to the game, Ted Reeve Arena is a block south of the Danforth GO Transit stadion, which also services the TTC. Fans should consult the GO Transit and TTC websites for schedules, fares and maps. Ted Reeve is an older arena, but it is not terribly difficult to get around. Washroom facilities are adequate for the number of fans in attendance.
Return on Investment 5
Toronto Beaches lacrosse, along with the other experiences in the OJLL, offers tremendous value for the sporting dollar. Tickets for the Beaches are $10 each with some discounts for kids and seniors. Toronto Beaches minor lacrosse players get into the game free of charge. The action on the floor is high calibre and fans will definitely have a good time.
Extras 2
An extra mark for the long history of the Toronto Beaches Lacrosse Club.
An extra mark for the seats in Ted Reeve Arena being reused from Exhibition Stadium in Toronto.
Final Thoughts
Taking in some Junior Lacrosse in the Toronto neighbourhood of the Beaches is a great way to take in a neighbourhood that tourists may not normally head to and to get a flavour of a part of Toronto. Toronto Beaches lacrosse is a great way to catch some high calibre lacrosse at a price that is very palpable. Ted Reeve Arena is a historic neighbourhood arena with a significant amount of charm. Head out! Life’s a Beach!
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