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Brockville
Arts Centre
235 King St. West
Brockville, Ontario
Canada

Visit the City of
Brockville's website
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History
of The Brockville Arts Centre
The
present Brockville Arts Centre building has a long and colourful history.
The building was built in the year 1858 and served over the years as a
Town Hall (with a clerks room, Council room and a lock-up
cell room), the market building (with butcher stands) and as fire engine
house No. 1 until gradually more space was needed for these purposes.
Two of the original date stones engraved in 1858 still exist today and
are placed high on the outside walls.
All the town offices were moved to Victoria Hall building in the early
1900s. The public space upstairs in the old Town Hall was converted
into a theatre called the Opera House.
The Brockville Arts Centre itself possibly owes its existence to Mr. George
Huntley, an eminent comedian. Disgusted with the backstage conditions
in the old Opera House, Mr. Huntley gave a blistering curtain speech declaring
that he would never come back unless conditions were improved and moreover,
threatened to tell his professional friends. Since, at that time, the
building still housed the Fire Department, which used horse drawn fire
engines, and the butchers stalls below (the horses stalls being
conveniently located directly below the actors dressing rooms),
Mr. Huntley had reason to complain.
Stirred by Mr. Huntleys speech, a group of local citizens formed
the Brockville Operatic House Co. Limited and built the theatre. The New
Theatre with its fine new stage, the third largest in Canada a the
time opened on September 18, 1911 with the play Baby Mine.
It enjoyed a successful career and the last show booked into the theatre
was The Dumbells on October 31, 1929.
On November 6, 1937 fire gutted the auditorium. Fortunately, the stage
was saved by its heavy asbestos fire curtain and it survives to this day.
The rebuilt theatre was opened as the Regent a motion picture
house on October 19, 1939. The Regent continued to operate until the popularity
of television forced it to close April 6, 1958.
On January 26, 1960, following exterior renovation, the theatre opened
with No-No Nannet put on by the Brockville Operatic Society
and later that year the first big show from out of town was Once
Upon A Mattress with Imogene Coca and Edward Everett Horton.
In 1975, the theatre was thoroughly renovated and a major addition was
constructed on the east side of the building. Funds were donated by the
people of this community and grants were received from Wintario.
In 1981-1982, The Brockville Operatic Society and the Brockville Theatre
Guild combined forces to raise funds to build rehearsal and construction
areas. This was to bring all their activities under one roof, including
wardrobe and prop storage. In conjunction with the City of Brockville,
the Musi-Theatre was built.
The municipality owned Brockville Civic Auditorium was operated successfully
by the Brockville Arts Centre Board of Management until March of 1990
when the Board disbanded and turned the theatres operation back
to the municipality. The Brockville Arts Centre as it is known now is
presently managed by Cultural section of the Citys Community Services
Department with community input and advise provided through the Council
appointed , Performing and Visual Arts Advisory Committee.
With the present seating capacity of 802, the Arts Centre continues to
offer some of the finest stage entertainment in Ontario encompassing drama,
music, dance and childrens theatre. With a past history of community
commitment and support serving as an example, we can expect the Brockville
Arts Centre to remain an important part of the cultural fabric of our
community well into the next century.
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Coming
Soon !

Did
You Know?
The Arts Centre
offers accessibility options for patrons such as electric accessible front doors, an accessible washroom, accessible seating areas, FM - Phonic in ear hearing devices
and accessible parking spots
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