Re: “New school should come before theatre expansion” LTE Oct. 22
Dear editor,
Some of the statements in Victoria Brodie’s letter are misleading and I would like to offer clarification.
First, the City of Airdrie has no say in the building of new schools or the expansion of existing school. Schools are under provincial jurisdiction, not municipal, so the City cannot fix the overcrowded schools in Airdrie.
The City can, however, spend money on the expansion of the Bert Church Theatre to create a nicer more usable arts and culture centre for its citizens. The second point brought up in the letter discusses a survey done that suggests Airdrie’s seniors made up over 50 per cent of the population.
I do not know about this survey, but according to the City census for the last 10 years, the number of people living in Airdrie over the age of 65 has not been over 10 per cent.
I have lived in Airdrie for over 13 years and it’s only in the last few that I have found anything I was interested in seeing at the Bert Church Theatre.
This is not to say that the shows previously presented were not good or entertaining, they were just not enjoyable for me.
Perhaps the theatre’s line up over the last few seasons is not completely geared towards seniors.
Is that really an issue?
Should our community theatre not offer shows for all its citizens not just a small percentage of the population?
This season offers a large variety of shows including rock, blues, country, Celtic, soul, folk and choral music while still maintaining the community presentations for local theatre groups and classic favourites such as the Prairie Mountain Fiddlers.
Here are a few more clarifications: The theatre has always been considered a City service and has never made a profit, but current management has brought them in under budget for three years running.
The proposed expansion is to make the theatre more accessible to artists and patrons, not to increase seating.
Tickets are available for purchase at the theatre box office during regular business hours and during shows, not just online.
Selena Clauson, Airdrie
