The Venerable......

...come on.

It wasn't that long ago.

The street signs should give it away.

That's right. The venerable Maple Leaf Gardens. Or The Cashbox on Carlton. The former home of the formerly glorious Toronto Maples Leafs.

Who now call Air Canada Centre home.

Notice I said Air Canada Centre, not The Air Canada Centre. You would never call it The Maple Leaf Gardens. Or The Yankee Stadium.

[I suspect as a kid, saying that in New York would earn you to the biggest wedgie you ever had.]

So it is Air Canada Centre. And Rogers Centre.

There, I'm glad that's settled.

But I did get a shock walking by the aforementioned venerable shrine, when I saw construction workers and hoarding everywhere.

What the......? (I should get an emoticon for that expression).

And then I saw that they are installing a huge 70,000 square foot Loblaws in Leafs Land. Oh oh.....

And indignity of indignities, I think that hoarding is covering the entrance to The Hot Stove Lounge! Where Big Joe used to try and sneak me in.

Big Joe, who when not impersonating David Wells would try - sometimes successfully...and sometimes not - to pass himself off as Pat Burns.

Although a Loblaws does not seem like a natural fit, according to the new owner, Bob - Bob Loblaws - they "will maintain the existing facades and rooflines". So I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. For now.

But I'm watching you. I'm watching. You.