City seeks long-term home for performing arts centre in Lacombe

“Council expressed a strong desire and interest to see a performing arts centre established in Lacombe but they felt that the needs of the community weren’t going to be answered by that particular location,” explains Deborah Juch, Director of Community Services.

“Perhaps in the short-term, but certainly not in the long-term and that’s what they’re looking for to invest City funding in, is something that is going to serve for the long-term as well.”

Juch feels Council’s decision to approve a $1000 per month operating grant for the foundation is a positive step forward.

“There’s no end date on it, so it will just continue as long as they’re a group and performing. The reason that this proposal came forward is because the building that the Foundation is currently in has been put up for sale, so there is the sense of somewhat a degree of urgency.”

Juch acknowledges previous efforts in establishing a performing arts centre in Lacombe over the past several years but adds none, including the work already done at the Trinity Lutheran Church, were found to be appropriate or affordable.

“They’ve been in that building for some time and they’ve been very successful in it as well. They are filling the house, they are getting donations, they’re getting lots of revenue from their performances, they’re putting things on, so it’s not like they’re not successful there. In terms of the facility itself, it just isn’t what council is looking for to house performing arts in Lacombe, maybe a bigger scope.”

Lacombe Performing Arts Centre Foundation spokesperson Grant Harder says they’re a little disappointed.

“We approached them with the concept of having them help us purchase the building so that we can establish it as a permanent performing arts space, right now we’re leasing,” he explains. “Of course when you’re leasing, you don’t want to invest too much time and energy on expansion plans or long-range plans because you don’t actually own the building. So we were hoping that the City would help us to purchase it and that would secure us a great site for the future, as well as right now. ”

Although disappointed, Harder admits the group is not discouraged.

“We’re going to go and examine our alternatives, whether we go for private funding or whatever the choice might be. It’s something that the Board of Directors is going to have to look at and determine what our future path is going to be.”

Harder is unsure at this point whether there’s another facility in the City of Lacombe that would meet the organization’s needs.

“We’ve looked for a long time for a viable building that’s large enough, has ample parking and is in the right location,” says Harder. “We’ve even looked at ware houses in the industrial area with the idea of revamping a ware house into a theatre. This is the best one that we’ve found obviously so far, it’s the only one that we were prepared to act on, so that’s where we’re at today.”

In terms of regional partnership options, Harder says they wouldn’t turn down any viable alternatives at this point, but adds it would have to be investigated further.

“If you wanted to talk about a theatre half-way between here and Blackfalds for example with County participation and Blackfalds and City of Lacombe participation, that might be something that’s worth delving into,” says Harder. “But there’s lots of water to go under the bridge before we get to that point.”

by Sheldon Spackman

City seeks long-term home for performing arts centre in Lacombe

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