For the next 10 years, 345 Portage Avenue will boast a new name.

The BellMTS Place signage, in place since 2017 after a Bell MTS rebranding, is now being taken down and replaced with the new name.

“We are proud to call the home of our Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose Canada Life Centre and look forward to associating the Canada Life brand with exciting moments in hockey and entertainment,"  Mark Chipman, Executive Chairman of True North Sports + Entertainment says in a statement. True North is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

Starting on Canada Day, the home ice of Winnipeg's most popular hockey team will be called Canada Life Centre. The deal between Canada Life and True North Sports + Entertainment was announced Tuesday morning.

“For more than 130 years, our companies have called Winnipeg ‘home’ and we’re proud to be an integral part of the fabric of this community. We can’t wait to continue telling our story to Canadians, and as a Winnipegger, I couldn’t be more excited for this journey," President and Chief Executive Officer of Great-West Lifeco, Canada Life’s parent company, Paul Mahon says in a statement.

Mahon says this partnership is a reflection of both companies' commitment to the community, saying "by teaming up, we believe we can do more for the community and ensure that our efforts create positive change for the well-being of all Canadians." He says this was a natural move for the partnership's evolution.

“As True North Sports + Entertainment celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, we can’t think of a more exciting way to embark upon the next ten years of our organization’s journey than with a partner like Canada Life, that shares the same community commitment and passion for our great city and country," Chipman says.

Attendees of the centre's future events can expect substantial branding, media, hospitality and community assets changes for Canada Life. Signage will be completed by September.

Related Stories