Ontario will spend $35 million to help the Shaw Festival rebuild the Royal George Theatre.
Tourism minister Stan Cho says the funding will be used to build a larger, more modern theatre as the province looks to beef up the economy and tourism in Niagara-on-the-Lake and the surrounding region.
The province says the theatre’s construction will create 550 jobs and once built, the venue will have 20% more seating as well as new rehearsal and workspaces.
The landmark theatre will close permanently after its Christmas production at the end of the year and the rebuild is expected to be completed in 2029.
The Shaw Festival recounts on its website that the theatre was built during the First World War as a temporary building to house lectures and entertainments for officers training in Niagara and was only designed to last for about 25 years.
Refurbishments over the years increased the life span, but today the venue faces “constant flooding, inadequate accessibility and a host of other concerns…” that portend its “inevitable demise,” according to Shaw.
It adds, “We now must rebuild the Royal George into a venue that serves the 21st century, while still presenting an homage to the Georgian jewel box theatre that has become such a feature of the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. We all love the Royal George, but we need a theatre that can serve today’s needs. It cannot simply be rebuilt on the existing footprint because current building codes would not allow it. We need there to be accessible lobbies, facilities, community spaces and a theatre that can be enjoyed by everyone.”
For the government’s part, Cho hopes the bigger venue will help drive more tourists to the area and keep them there longer.
The minister has grand visions to turn the Niagara region into “Las Vegas of the north” with an international airport, more hotels, mass transit expansion and a new amusement park.
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