Civic Centre, CN Centre not multi-purpose venues

Although I have no quarrel with some of the statements made in The Citizen's editorial piece about the proposed performing arts centre in downtown Prince George, I will take exception to several of the writer's assertions including the multi-purpose issue. The writer holds up the Civic Centre and CN Centre as shining examples of multi-purpose venues. Unfortunately, the Civic Centre is a large gymnasium which takes expensive time and resources to transform into anything else. It is inadequate for spectator sports as there is little room for spectators. The CN Centre is a multiplex only in that its ice surface can range from conventional ice hockey to Olympic size, the boards and bleachers can be removed, but it's primary reason d'etre is hockey. The proposed performing arts centre will also serve many purposes, each with its own specific venue needs. What Prince George has needed for a very long time is a purpose-built facility. Sure it can have rental space for arts-related operations and some commercial space, but it truly must be built to house the performing arts. It is already a stretch to expect a single venue to be appropriate for symphonic music, theatre and dance without compromising its true purpose. Imagine New York's metropolitan opera house presenting a Norm Foster play? As it is, some local producers continually attempt to shoe horn musical theatre into the Prince George Playhouse.

One important point your opinion piece ignored is "political will." Until there exists in Prince George a fundamental and widely-held understanding of the need for this proposed facility within our community, we will never achieve the political inertia required to build it and keep it alive.

Sure, Prince George has a legion of dedicated arts lovers, but the citywide appreciation for art is scant. The proof lies in the absence of such a facility in the first place. And as long as we are steadfast about building only facilities we absolutely need, there isn't a hope in hell that this community will see a performing arts centre. This is thanks in part to a continual parade of opinion from the Prince George Citizen that always seems to reduce this discussion to "wants and needs" instead of "goals and dreams." Come on, help build some vision.

Bill Russell

Prince George