Jim Mason
Columns
April 10, 2008 12:38 AM
By: Jim Mason
It should be a glowing moment in downtown Stouffville tomorrow afternoon.
A cheque for almost $1 million will be presented to town officials from the province. (One can only hope that it’s not of the oversized variety, physically not monetarily, the kind of cheque presenters assume we in the media love but we really don’t.)
The money is for the conversion of the old town hall into 19 on the Park, an arts centre.
The project launch which will happen at least ceremonially tomorrow, is as almost as overdue as a Stanley Cup parade down Yonge Street.
The municipal offices vacated almost in the middle of the night 10 years ago, with the then CAO saying the structure was unsafe.
It’s had minor re-births, particularly as artists studios, and more proposals for re-invention than Maple Leaf Gardens.
A performing arts theatre was usually the focal point, but today’s council emphasizes that 19 on the Park is more multi-use.
And there in may lie the rub, folks.
The province is behind it, at least financially. The business and development community anted up $300,000 at a fall wine and schmooze, with more fundraisers promised.
The cheque-writing may not needed, thanks to the McGuinty Liberals. But the non-financial support of patrons and performers of the facility would be nice.
It was stunning to read in this paper last month Mr. Emmerson saying, “... we have had very little input from the arts and cultural people in town”. A week later, nothing had changed, he said.
So, for whom is 19 on the Park being remodelled and expanded at cost of $3.4 million? Is it too small for the theatre crowd, the same way the second pad of the Stouffville arena is to the hockey and skating community?
Will potential users step forward?
Jim Mason is editor of The Sun-Tribune.