Performing Arts Centre Launches Membership Drive

Friday, October 26, 2007 03:46 AM

The Prince George Regional Performing Arts Centre Society is looking for members to join its efforts to establish a Performing Arts Centre in Prince George.

Society Board Chair Cliff Dezell says the membership drive provides a way for members of the general public to become involved with the society. “Our members guide the activities of the Society, so the more members we have, the better able we are to reflect what the community wants with respect to establishing a Performing Arts Centre in Prince George,” says Dezell.

Dezell says the Society currently has over 125 members, and he expects to see that number grow over the coming months as the membership drive gets underway. “We are working hard to get out in the community to share our plans and invite people to join us,” says Dezell.

There are two levels of membership – ‘Active Member’ and ‘Friend of the Society.’ Active members have full voting privileges in the society, and can participate in the Society’s first annual general meeting in January. A Friend of the Society membership is geared for individuals who wish to support and be kept informed of the Society’s activities, but is not interested in voting privileges. An Active Membership is $10, while a Friend membership is $5.

Memberships are available at Books and Company, Studio 2880 and Two Rivers Art Gallery. Members of the Society will also be out at various public events like the Symphony and “Beauty and the Beast” performances to sell memberships.

“We want to make it as easy as possible for everyone to get involved and support the effort to establish a Performing Arts Centre in Prince George. A first class Performing Arts Centre would not only assist in attracting performers from around the world, but it would bring Prince George in par with other similar sized communities that are enjoying the benefits of a culturally enhanced economy,” Dezell concludes.

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Posted on Friday, October 26, 2007 03:46 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on October 26 2007 8:06 AM

It's not really a membership drive, it's a petition.

Posted by: Palopu on October 26 2007 8:35 AM

This facility will probably cost taxpayers somewhere in the area of $25 Million or more, plus $500,000.00 per year to operate, so if it was to go through I would suggest that every business, and taxpayer in Prince George is already a Member seeing as how they are paying for the whole nine yards.

What a bunch of gibberish.

Yama is right. They will try to get as many signatures, as possible so that City Hall can say **Yes the community is behind this venture** and then they will run out and borrow the money, and the **Black Hole** will get blacker.

Its about time that IPG and others in this City (unelected interest groups) get out of the business of spending tax dollars, let the elected Politicians make the decisions and take the responsibility.

Its time to stop **kiting** these projects through vested interest groups who have no responsibility to taxpayers.

**Who voted for Gerry Offet, or Dezell.

Posted by: Buzz on October 26 2007 9:20 AM

Um, the "vested interest groups" are also taxpayers. City councillors involved with funding parts of the project are elected politicians. Getting "lots of signatures" would indicate a good level of interest, would it not?

Posted by: bohemian on October 26 2007 10:13 AM

Gentlemen - getting support one person, one membership, one signature, one handshake at a time: It's called politics. It's the way the world works.

Posted by: Runner46 on October 26 2007 11:47 AM

Bohemian

One person, one membership, one sigature, one handshake at a time.....Sounds like one vote at a time as well.

And that is not how more than 1/2 the world works. You assume that Democracy is the norm through out are planet?

Posted by: Harbinger on October 26 2007 2:59 PM

I am sure the artsy fartsy organizers aren't outside the sawmill gates asking soon to be laid off workers if they would be interested in enjoying the "arts" during their upcoming "spare time".

Posted by: opinionated on October 26 2007 3:07 PM

Please tell me what you are all so afraid of? Culture is not a bad word. Try looking outside the box for a change. PG is progressive.

Posted by: camoose on October 26 2007 3:52 PM

Sign me up for 1500 participating memberships. Just put it on my tab on a separate line on my city tax bill. Right next to the pothole tax

Posted by: giterdun on October 26 2007 4:41 PM

I WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD SIGN UP IF THE MEMBERSHIP WAS $25 OR $50.I THINK THAT WOULD SHOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE REALLY INTERESTED IN THIS VENUE. NOT MANY I BET!
A $5 MEMBERSHIP IS A JOKE.

Posted by: Norm1 on October 26 2007 5:01 PM

Actually a $5.00 membership is not..... as giterdun calls it..... a joke.

If you have been around Prince George for a while, you may remember the $5.00 sign up membership in quest of a university. Many people signed up.....the university is now a reality. You could call it a show of faith from an interested community.

Posted by: Palopu on October 26 2007 5:03 PM

I dont have any problem with culture, and I think it would be fair to say that the culture in this City would change very little by building a new building. Or would we get biggar and better culture.

We already have under utilized facilities such as the Civic Center, Multiples, Playhouse Theatre, Vanier Hall, Theatre NorthWest etc; Why do we need more. If we build a PAC these facilties will not be used at all, or they will be used and the
PAC will be under utilized.

With a City with a measly 72000 people the present facilities are more than adaquate to provide the needs of culture.

Posted by: Palopu on October 26 2007 5:16 PM

Norm. Selective memory. The sign up for the University when first launched was looking for something like 5000 signatures. When they got to around 2000 plus they realized they would not reach their goal, and quietly closed the campaign, and called it a success.

The University was actually built for Political Reasons, much like to Sports Plex etc; Politicians buying Votes.

At a cost of $100 Million a year to run, employ 750 or more on tax dollars, to educate some 4000 or less full time equivalant students might be a success to some people, however to others it would be considered a failure.

Posted by: Harbinger on October 26 2007 5:27 PM

I paid five bucks once to join a union. Woulda got my dough back in short order with a short strike and a raise. $5 bucks in nuthin'.

Posted by: charles on October 26 2007 7:30 PM

It seems to me, if the Prince George Peforming Arts Center Society wants to put their hands into the Prince George taxpayers' pockets, they should bring this proposal to our city council and have it voted upon as soon as possible.

I would think with the state of the United States housing market in a big time freefall, that there is going to be a lot of layoffs in our solid woods industry in the near future, which will probably result in local voters not thinking too kindly to any grandiose spending plans of our city council.

The following paragraph is from a recent article in Bloomberg News.

"A record 17.9 million U.S. homes stood empty in the third quarter as lenders took possession of a growing number of properties in foreclosure. "

If anyone wishes to read the entire article, here is the link to it.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=auGPZJsHk6_s

Posted by: Palopu on October 26 2007 7:57 PM

To give some perspective to how this City has wasted money over the years

(1)Mid 1950's built a new police station at 7th and Quebec St.

(2) Mid to late 70's built a new police station at 8th and Brunswick.

(3) Late 2007-2010 Plan to build a new police station at 4th and Victoria. $25-30 Million.

So in a 50 year period we will have built 3 brand new police stations. Which is one every 17 years.

Does anyone know of any City in Canada that can equal or surpass this dubious distinction.

This is only one of many examples where tax dollars are spent for no other reason, than the alternative would be to reduce taxes. (Heaven forbid did I say reduce?)

Posted by: Runner46 on October 26 2007 9:59 PM

Echo, echo, echo....you all sound the same. Must be the same brain fart bouncing off the Cut Banks...

Posted by: Chester on October 27 2007 9:11 AM

Pal, you forgot the new police station at 5th and Ospika? Chester

Posted by: Palopu on October 27 2007 12:26 PM

Chester. I left out the Police Station on 5th and Ospika because it houses the Police for the Regional District. They used to be housed on top of the Post Office on 5th ave, this space has been empty since they moved.

Runner46. Your next original thought will be your first.

Posted by: NMG on October 27 2007 12:34 PM

Not related to the PAC, but is it realistic to believe that the police stations built in the 50's and 70's, would be suitable for the needs of today and tomorrow?

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on October 27 2007 1:26 PM

Back to the subject - if we're going to spend millions, where should it go?

I'd vote for more infrastructure like water/sewer roads, as this seems to be the reason development gets stalled in PG. Another bridge across the Fraser south of College Heights would be nice. Instead of Swans Lakes we could watch the arty's swan dive off the bridge!

Posted by: NMG on October 27 2007 2:43 PM

Anytime you are going to spend the amount of money that the PAC would cost, I think it is reasonable to consider other options and compare the cost benefit to determine if the money should be spent elsewhere.

It does get difficult to qualtify the actual ROE though, because something like a PAC could be contributing to the City decades from now. Paving roads is likely a short-term fix at best, while still costing a whole pile of dough,

It would be a good discussion to have though.

Posted by: owl on October 28 2007 5:35 AM

"the more members we have, the better able we are to reflect what the community wants with respect to establishing a Performing Arts Centre in Prince George"

So precisely how many members are required to reflect what the community wants? 50% + 1 of the population? A tough road ahead. 10% or 7,000+? Still a VERY tough road ahead.

It is an interesting notion, but one I do not really support based on precedent in other areas of interest to both small and large user groups and based on how such centres are supported by governments in other communities.

There is no baseball/softball diamond society in the city. Neither is there one for tennis courts the city has provided, nor parks, nor horseshoe pits nor bike tracks, etc. etc.

Some clubs, such as lawn bowling and tennis are quite small, yet we have facilities provided by or subsidized by the city to meet their needs be they ever so humble.

Performing Arts Centres throughout much of the world are not much different than public art galleries, museums, libraries, town halls, civic squares, parks, sports arenas, and so on. They are facilities provided by local and state governments to support those normal social activities which typically require such support in order to make access to them as universal as possible.

In Prince Rupert, for example, the City Council formed a committee to look into the matter and the centre was built 3 years later.

To take the position that somehow the provision of a proper PAC in this city is dependent on gathering a large membership is playing right into the hands of those opposed to such a facility.

Be bold! Take a stand based on objective reasoning by identifying the pros and the cons of building such a facility in PG as displayed by the experiences in the rest of the world.

Posted by: NMG on October 28 2007 4:52 PM

"To take the position that somehow the provision of a proper PAC in this city is dependent on gathering a large membership is playing right into the hands of those opposed to such a facility"

Have to agree with you Owl. If we relied on majority approval for every project undertaken in the City of Prince George, nothing would get approved and people WOULD whine and complain that we don't have the services and facilities that other cities our size do . . .

There is a point where you have to simply accept that sometimes money will be spent on things that you personally don't support. That being said, it doesn't mean that a proper analysis as to the need for such projects shouldn't be undertaken.

Posted by: owl on October 28 2007 5:11 PM

"it doesn't mean that a proper analysis as to the need for such projects shouldn't be undertaken."

I agree very much with that. Every project in the city should require such an analysis, the more expensive the project, the more importance should be attributed to such an analysis.

From the information made public, the City is providing the funding to conduct such an analysis. It will be intersting to follow the process and see the outcome this time around.