Massey Theatre can be saved

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EXCERPT:

 I for one am highly suspicious of the high number of $ 18 million quoted to bring the theatre "up to code."

Is this quote intentionally high so that the school board can point to the engineer’s report and say, “See, this report says so much is needed, but we cannot afford to upgrade for this much"?

The darned theatre was just renovated!

How many buildings in this city are not up to code? Many houses and buildings were built decades ago that do not meet the new code. They are still being used despite this. Heck, the high school that was supposed to have been replaced years ago is practically falling apart around the students. So why is it such a pressing issue all of a sudden to bring Massey Theatre up to code? I have never heard of any problems with it. And who says the upgrade has to happen overnight? It can take place over several years.

I suggest city council and the school board stop playing political hot potato with Massey Theatre and step up to the plate. There is no reason why this theatre should be torn down.

There seems to be enough money for developments such as Plaza 88 and the waterfront park. Surely, some money from infrastructure grants can be redirected to save Massey.


Annette Simpson

New Westmintser

Joyce Jackson speaks out against destruction of the Massey Theatre

To  Mayor Wayne Wright and members of the New Westminster City Council; James Jansen and members of the New Westminster School Board; James Goring, trustee in charge of the High School; Dawn Black, MLA for New Westminster

 
I feel compelled to write to you after hearing that there is a possibility that the Massey Theatre in New Westminster might be lost to the community for good. That this is even a possibility seems unbelievable to me.

I have lived in New Westminster since 1974, my children grew up and went to school here and the Massey has been an important part of our lives in so many ways. It has been important for high quality, professional productions as well as for local events of different kinds. Over the years we have enjoyed the many wonderful musical theatre productions; with my choir I have sung on the Massey stage several times, once with the Vancouver Symphony; as well as numerous musical events Massey has been the venue for New Westminster School District Professional Development events, as well as for many other graduation ceremonies and school concerts. These are just a fraction of the ways in which the Massey is integrated into the fabric of our city. Massey Theatre is a thriving, well-managed theatre and should be allowed to continue to thrive. It's success is the envy of many other theatres across the rest of Canada.

 I understand that we have to be realistic in these days of financial insecurity. However, it would seem that the Engineer's report citing a figure of $18 million is out of line considering it includes unnecessary and contrived features not necessary to maintain the theatre.  Moreover, I understand that this report was compiled without any input from the Massey Theatre Society.  A more accurate figure of $4-$5 million has been quoted by an architect. Surely this option should also be considered.

We have a theatre which would be the envy of most other communities. It just doesn't make sense to pull it down. I understand that a 250 seat theatre is planned but that simply does not remotely compare to what we have now. 

In the Massey Theatre we have a wonderful asset, beneficial in so many ways that it would seem a mistake of boundless proportions should it be intentionally torn down.The simple fact is that once destroyed it will be gone for good. I hope that the people we have voted to be guardians of our city will not have as their legacy the fact that they oversaw the destruction of an invaluable community resource; one that should be used and enjoyed by generations to come.

Respectfully,

Joyce Jackson
Citizen, New Westminster

Actor Jay Brazeau's call for protest against demolishing the Massey Theatre

at 10:51am on October 10th, 2009, Jay Brazeau wrote, on the facebook group Save Massey Theatre:

What is happening in this town is a cultural holocaust. It's bad enough they are cutting away 90% per cent of the funding. Yesterday I saw that they were trying to eliminate all our local authors. Now today I find them trying to eliminate our place of worship. So they have stolen our food and now they are throwing us out into the streets. I am embarrassed by this government and the dirty dealings that have been happening these last months. Something has to be done. You can take everything from us but...YOU CANNOT TAKE AWAY OUR ART! We have to FIGHT BACK WITH EVERYTHING WE GOT!

[Used with permission.]

Massey’s future merits thoughtful response

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EXCERPT:

Ask someone to name five defining features of the Royal City, and along with Queen’s Park and the Fraser River, you’d likely hear them ring off the theatre named for Canada’s first Governor General.

The 60-year-old Massey has a magnetic appeal, drawing thousands who see our city as something more than a patch of pavement separating their home in Surrey from their work in Burnaby.

(Though the Massey Theatre Society’s economic impact stats aren’t too impressive. They say 100,000 people come each year, and spend an average $3 each. That only totals $300,000)

The theatre also charms by pretty much paying its own way—ticket sales alone cover 82 per cent of operating costs. By contrast, the Burr was a sinkhole that depended upon city bailouts.

COMMENT:
In Vancouver, theatres of the same vintage were saved for the same reasons the Massey should be saved. Think of the Orpheum Theatre and the Stanley Theatre. These two theatres were saved because of their unique size, theatre production amenities and acoustical properties. These are the reasons to save the Massey Theatre. Old things are not inherently bad and outdated. There must be proof. The reports say that the theatre is in very good repair. As heritage expert Don Luxton has said: Luxton also scoffed at the $18-million figure, and thinks the theatre could be upgraded for far less. He argued that engineers’ reports vary wildly according to their terms of reference.  “If you say, ‘Make this theatre into a state of the art blah blah blah, and make sure it’s high because we really want to tear it down,’ [it would be high]. Go to someone else and say, ‘Maybe we don’t have to replace the seats, and maybe it just needs a coat of paint,’ [it would be lower].” – John Oliver

Massey Theatre is Imperative to our Multicultural Example

by Cassius Khan

My name is Cassius Khan, and I am an internationally recognized Indian
Classical Musician who plays Tabla and is a vocalist of the rather
difficult styles of Ghazals, poetry in the lunguage of Hindi and Urdu
set to Indian Classical Music.

I have made New Westminster my home, because of the warmth of our
mayor, the Honourable Wayne Wright, the beautiful city and the Massey
Theatre.

As a musician who performs and teaches for a living, it is imperative
that we keep the Arts and Culture alive in our city. The Government
has already cut so much funding to World Musicians such as myself,
that we need to have an Artistic, Cultural, and Musical outlet in our
city.

To tear down a facility which is worth over $100 Million for the sake
of a school is ridiculous, never in the history of any thriving city
has a fully functioning and respectable theatre been torn down.

The Massey is a major contributor in Theatre, Dance, Music and Art.
Communities are joined together thanks to the Massey Theatre. The
Theatre is well known around the world as well, in my international
touring work, I have come across a lot of musicians who have worked
with the Massey and have always praised the dynamics, the ambience,
staff and sound engineering of the Theatre.

This Theatre also brings in a lot of business, and tourism. The Massey
is a Heritage Landmark, an icon that has nurtured the Arts and Music.
Not only do people from all over Vancouver come to this theatre to
indulge in wonderful programming, people all over the world come as
well. And that too, of all world cultures.

Without this facility, the Arts here will die!

We must save our Theatre. If The Massey is torn down, it will be a
symbolic teardown of our Cultural and Artistic identity as well.

It is a shame that the City of New Westminster and the public school
board would even consider tearing down a facility of this sheer size
and reputation.

Money talks. What is the fine print on our $20.00 bill? Look closely
and read it, it says:

"Nous connatrions-nous seulement un peu nous- memes, sans les arts?"-
COULD WE EVER KNOW EACH OTHER IN THE SLIGHTEST, WITHOUT THE ARTS?-
( Gabrielle Roy, 1909-1983)

in 2007, the Arts contributed $84.6 Billion to Canada's GNP. That's
1.1 million jobs or 7.2% of Canada's employment. ( The Conference
Board of Canada, August 26th 2008 report)

Please save this Theatre! As a Musician and proud citizen of New
Westminster, this is all we have left in our beautiful city. Please
don't tear it down!