Council approval has been given to launch a capital fundraising campaign to build an addition at Victoria Playhouse Petrolia [VPP].
The Town of Petrolia's Director of Marketing, Arts and Communications Laurissa Ellsworth said it would improve accessibility at the historic building.
"We're looking to add what we would consider a tower addition on the back, north side of the building, that would take an elevator from the lobby level all the way to the balcony and add about ten washrooms in the process, a few on each floor," said Ellsworth.
She said they only have one elevator in Victoria Hall right now, which holds about six to eight people.
"It doesn't go to the top. It just goes to the orchestra level. So, right now to get to the balcony you need to take about two extra flights of stairs," said Ellsworth.
She said in her 25 years of working for the town and the VPP, concerns and negative comments have always focused on those two things; the elevator and the washrooms.
"It's true, and I feel like people are very generous and they're kind to us about it, but you can tell that at the heart of the comment it's somebody that's just really having a rough time," Ellsworth said. "Like they're not able to make that climb, or they have to decide at intermission if they have the stamina to go down the three flights of stairs to the washroom and then get back up again."
Ellsworth said that's not supporting the dignity of patrons.
"We love inviting retirement homes and some long term care homes bring patrons here, and it's unfortunate for these folks that they don't have the dignity of a simplified means of travel to get to their seats and back to the washrooms," she said.
Ellsworth said they hope to raise $3.5 million.
"We would like to see the work done as early as 2025," she said. "We are going to launch the campaign in the new year and also start writing some grants and things like that. Now that we have the endorsement from council to modify the space, and we are aware that we want to try to do it during the off season so that we don't lose a season at the hall, we want to try to work around as many things as we can, so that this facility is still usable."
She said a second elevator is also planned, to transport freight and personnel and replace the scissor lift currently being used for sets, and Heritage Canada has been consulted.
"Because this is a Queen Anne style facility, it has the cut out corners, and that's a distinct feature of the design, the architecture," she said. "With this, we're actually removing those two corners by adding building. We're doing it on the backside of the building, not visible from the front side of the building, so they were ok with it."
The theatre, which has seating for 402 people, currently has one men's washroom with two stalls and three urinals, an accessible washroom with one toilet, and a ladies washroom with seven stalls.
"This change will actually bring us up to current building code, because right now we don't have enough ladies washrooms to meet code," Ellsworth said.
She said they're looking forward to kicking off the capital campaign and will be launching some fun fundraisers in the new year.