This week, Multiplex staff and elected representatives spent the better part of an hour debating what to do with the theatre.
On one side of the discussion: invest $31,000 in tax dollars into fixing the many issues that have made it a chilly and potentially dangerous place to enter.
On the other side: Step back, hire an inspector to analyze the building and apply for some grants. Avoid a “knee-jerk reaction,” as Mayor Roger Morrill put it.
The Multiplex voted for option one, and town and county councils agreed on the use of tax dollars in the coming days.
Hurrah.
Coun. Doris Splane put it well during the meeting when she said she didn’t know how they could not invest in the theatre.
There’s no doubt Athabasca lives and breathes sports.
This weekend, golf teams paid over a thousand dollars each to have a swing and a dance at the 15th annual Bryan Mudryk Golf Classic. Through the dedication and investments of volunteers and programs like those at the Multiplex, we have our share of home-grown sports figures – Tim Hague comes to mind this week.
But arts are also a part of the region’s soul, too.
Canadian playwright and novelist from Athabasca George Ryga holds a place in the hearts of many nation-wide. Colleen Rae, who will be at the Magnificent River Rats Festival this weekend and whose family’s roots lie in Grassland, is another example.
Just this year, staff turned people away from the doors at the Nancy Appleby theatre because its 280 seats could not fit the audience who came out to see The Vagina Monologues.
A month later, that theatre saw six performances – some with a fully-packed audience – of The Drowsy Chaperone, a play that asks for at least fifteen performers and a pit band.
Next weekend, 25 Athabasca-area artists will show their work at an art sale and show. The River Rats Festival will be showcasing local Athabasca artists alongside national stars.
While there is certainly room for thoughtful spending, the least the community can do is fix the sidewalk near the theatre so people can walk in safely.
