Sid Theatre (Courtenay) speaks out against tearing down Massey

To New Westminster Mayor and Council, New Westminster School Board Chair James Janzen,

Dear Mayor and Council, Dear Mr. Janzen,

I have just learned (via our Board Chair) of your plans to tear down the Massey Theatre.
This is shocking and deeply dismaying news to the whole theatre community in British Columbia.

I have worked in this profession for over 20 years and have attended many meetings, seminars, and training sessions at the Massey Theatre. This wonderful facility is not only a perfectly functional theatre and a very beautiful theatre, it is also a piece of history in many ways; in particular the architectural style in which it was constructed, and the fact that it is one of (I believe) only 2 functional rope-rigged theatres in the Province (the other being the Royal Theatre in Victoria). The other way in which it is a piece of history is, of course, the legions of not only performers, but also technicians and other performing-arts professionals who have done training at the Massey. The Massey Theatre is indeed the Grande Dame of New Westminster and I simply cannot believe that any group of elected representatives who understood their community and who cared at all about the performing arts would consider, for a moment, its demolition.

To my recollection, it was not long ago that the facility was closed for renovations for an extended period. Where will this investment go if the theatre is bulldozed?

Another consideration, as it is my understanding that a 500 seat (multi-purpose) theatre will be its replacement. I currently manage a 500 seat facility in a community that is half New Westminster’s size. We have been struggling for years to fundraise and plan with the hopes of one day building a 1200-1500 seat facility because our 500 seater is increasingly inadequate to serve the needs of our community. The thought that another larger community would be tearing down just such a facility is mind-boggling. Incidentally, one of our main rental user groups is our school district because the smaller “multi-purpose” theatre spaces at the high schools are often inadequate for their needs.

On behalf of myself and my colleagues I urge you to reconsider your decision to commit this outrage. It would be, I think, a social and economic catastrophe not only for your community, but also for the whole performing arts community in BC.

Sincerely,

Deborah A. Renz
General Manager
Sid Williams Theatre Society, Courtenay, BC
Stimulating and enhancing cultural opportunities
in the Comox Valley and Surrounding Region