Meridian Centre - Niagara River Lions
- Dave Cottenie
- 5 minutes ago
- 6 min read
Photos by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57
Meridian Centre
1 David S. Hawes Way
St. Catharines, Ontario L2R 0B3
Year Opened: 2014
Capacity: 4,030
The Founding Lion
The Niagara River Lions were founded in 2015 as part of the National Basketball League of Canada. The league dissolved in 2023, and the remaining teams were absorbed into the Basketball Super League. However, before that, one of the first dominoes to fall leading to the demise of the league was the Niagara River Lions. In 2019, the River Lions became the only established team to help found the Canadian Elite Basketball League and leave the NBL. Niagara became a cornerstone for the league. The River Lions became a huge part of the new CEBL as it was the only franchise with an established fanbase.
Richard Petko was the owner of the River Lions when the big move to the CEBL was made and was truly a founding father of the CEBL. Petko would later be joined by Michael Skrtich and Darren Peters to form the current ownership group. The ultimate success came for the River Lions in the 2024 and 2025 seasons as they were CEBL Champions.
Home for the River Lions is the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ontario. Known mostly as the home of the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs, Meridian Centre opened in 2014 and offers a capacity of 4,030 for basketball. The arena is owned by the City of St. Catharines.
Food & Beverage 3
Meridian Centre has a decent selection of concession items. Simple concession selections including pizza, popcorn, nachos, hot dogs, and burgers are available. Probably the most unique items on the menu are the Montreal Smoked Meat and Jamaican Patties. Concessions are “Grab and Go” style. Coca-Cola products are the soft drink of choice at the Meridian Centre. There is a decent selection of alcoholic beverages available, including local Bench Brewing items, Landshark, Carlsburg, Kronenburg, and Happy Dad seltzers.
Atmosphere 4
The exterior of Meridian Centre is fairly simple, with silver siding on the upper portion, brown brick on the lower portion, and blue Meridian Centre highlights. Entry into Meridian Centre from St. Paul Street will take fans across the Rankin Gateway bridge, and bring them into the fifth level of the building. Fans will descend a couple of staircases down to the third level for the main concourse.
The main concourse is typical of many OHL arenas with an open concept behind the main seating bowl. Upon entering the concourse, fans are enthusiastically welcomed by the River Lions Dance Pak. The court is oriented from south to north, with the centre court logo best viewed from the east. Meridian Centre is decorated with plenty of Niagara markings, with green highlights everywhere.
Curiously, the court has baselines that are red, typically the colour of the Niagara IceDogs. Banners for the IceDogs and historic hockey players linked to St. Catharines hang in the north end, along with the River Lions’ 2024 and 2025 CEBL Championship banners. A nice-sized, four-sided videoboard hangs above centre court. The Kid Zone can be found in the south end concourse, complete with sign-making and inflatable games. The south concourse also houses the St. Catharines Sports Hall of Fame. At the time of writing, the Hall of Fame featured many local lacrosse artifacts on display.
Previously, the court was pushed to one end of the arena; however, it has recently been centred. Both the north and south end seats are tarped off. The VIP Bar is located on the floor at the south side, and the north side features the Fan Deck with a summer motif and comfortable lawn chairs on a raised turf-covered deck.
The gameday experience at a CEBL game is described as a basketball game surrounded by a party. The River Lions go all out to pump up the fan experience. The mascot, Dunkin, can be found roaming the floor and takes part in the pre-game festivities and the announcement of the target score. Player entrances come from the northeast corner and are complete with sparkler machines, lasers, and green spotlights, then through the High Five Alley.
Torches light on the back of the basket standards at big moments during intros and on 3-pointers made by the home side. Fans are asked to stand and remain standing until the River Lions score their first points after being led in a Viking Clap by a fan on the floor with a drum. The evening wraps up with an autograph signing at booths in the concourse.
Neighbourhood 4
Meridian Centre is located in Downtown St. Catharines. Although not the most photogenic area, there are several spots for pre- and post-game food and drink. Some options include Merchant Ale House, Brass Monkey Local, The Office Tap and Grill, 194 Bourbon and Smoke, and Fiddler’s Pour House.
Meridian Centre is the regular home of the Niagara IceDogs. Brock University annually plays its special “Paint the Meridian Red” and “Steelblade Classic” games at Meridian Centre as well. Other sporting options in the area include the St. Catharines Falcons of the GOHL, Niagara Ironbacks baseball, St. Catharines Athletics lacrosse and Brock Badgers hockey and basketball.
Other tourist options include the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Welland Canal, Centennial Gardens, Happy Rolph’s Animal Farm and the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame. There are a ton of other options in nearby Niagara Falls and many wineries in the Niagara Region.
For fans wishing to stay in the area, the Holiday Inn, Comfort Inn and Best Western are all short drives away.
Fans 3
For the game that was reviewed, the Niagara River Lions welcomed over 1,700 fans to Meridian Centre. The average for the 2026 season, at the time of writing, is just over 1,800 fans per game. This is down from the previous season, where the team averaged almost 2,400 fans per game. Both seasons, the River Lions ranked 6th in the CEBL in attendance. The drop in attendance for the 2026 season is most likely due to the team being at the bottom of the standings after the two previous seasons where they won the title. The fans in attendance are louder than expected and supportive of the home squad.
Access 5
Meridian Centre is located in Downtown St. Catharines on David S. Hawes Way. The Meridian Centre location is unique in that it is not at the same elevation as St. Paul Street. The majority of fans will park downtown and take the Rankin Gateway bridge to the fifth level of the Meridian Centre. It is not advised that fans attempt to park in the Meridian Centre parking lot as it is mostly for staff and is difficult to get downtown.
Meridian Centre is immediately west of Highway 406, so it is not difficult to get to. There are a few surface lots and parking garages downtown. For fans that wish to take public transit, there are Niagara Transit buses that travel St. Paul Street. Fans should consult the Niagara Transit website for fares, maps and schedules.
Getting around Meridian Centre is not difficult, and washroom facilities are good. At the time of writing, patrons were required to walk through metal detectors as part of the security protocols. Stadium Journey highly recommends consulting the Meridian Centre website for the most up-to-date security information, including bag policy and prohibited items, before heading out.
Return on Investment 4
Tickets for the Niagara River Lions start at $26 for bronze level seating and go up to $50 for gold level. Courtside seats are just over $100. Parking downtown will cost a few dollars, and the concession prices are what one would expect for an OHL-level venue. The gameday experience at the River Lions is top-notch with a focus on families. The CEBL product is exciting and fast-paced. Most games are around two hours. The “Elam Ending” scoring target system makes the end of the game very exciting and not as tedious and long as a traditional basketball game. Overall, a trip to the Niagara River Lions offers great value for the sporting dollar.
Extras 2
An extra mark for the Niagara River Lions as one of the inaugural teams in the CEBL.
An extra mark for the River Lion moniker. A river lion is a mythical creature featured on the Niagara Region Coat of Arms.
Final Thoughts
The Niagara River Lions were integral to the creation of the CEBL and remain one of the cornerstone franchises to this day. Summer basketball in the Niagara Region at Meridian Centre is a great way to enjoy some family entertainment and not blow the bank.
