Acres back in as councillor Page 2 Wednesday, March 6, 2024 Vol. 47, No. 10
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Loss of Holden’s Paragon Theatre a ‘tough decision’ County pledges financial support for community’s active and vibrant arts and cultural activities Patricia Harcourt Editor
It’s a difficult time for the community of Holden and area as they work to save their ice arena only to learn that their historic theatre is to be demolished. The community works hard to keep its sports and cultural facilities vibrant and active. But residents are reeling from the news that the ice arena in the Holden Complex is in jeopardy of closing. The county will pay half of the cost of utilities for January, February, and March to help the Holden Ag Society, which owns and operates the Holden Complex. But another decision at the same county council meeting to demolish the historic and beloved Paragon Theatre is hitting the community hard. The theatre has been operating in one aspect or another for decades, and is the home of much historic consequence for the region as an entertainment venue. But county council decided it couldn’t save the building after flooding caused its doors to close last summer. Previously, council asked for advice from officials on the condition of the theatre, and its
The Village of Holden's 70-year-old Paragon Theatre will be demolished due to extensive flood damage sustained last year, causing thousands of dollars in damages.
prognosis going forward. The prognosis was that thousands or millions of dollars would be needed to upgrade the theatre to make it safe for use. A decision was made to demolish the building. Since last summer, the theatre had remained closed and those involved in its programs moved over to the community hall in Holden to hold movies and other programs. Council held discussions over that same period of time. But it was done under the FOIP (Freedom of Information and Access to Privacy) rules, which meant the public was not privy to
the documents shared and discussion at Governance and Priorities Committee meetings. Under FOIP Section 24(1), “Advice from officials - Paragon Theatre,” there were more closed session discussions Feb. 21 at county council before the final decision was made. Earlier, administration had heard the results of an engineering firm’s report, which was hired “to explore options.” The report stated: “It was found that solutions ranged from basic fixes that would repair some critical items but wouldn’t address flood damage, to comprehensive
repairs costing between $800,000 to $1 million.” Council chose the final alternative given in the report, that of demolishing the building after more closed session talk. Aimee Boise, general manager of community services, said the insurance company considered the Paragon building “no longer insurable at replacement value.” She outlined three options for council to consider. They included removing the theatre from its location (in other words, demolishing the building); deferring a decision for one year to allow for public engagement and a needs assessment; or, restoring the
building. This last option would have required a roof restoration to be done at a cost of $400,000, plus a further $1 million to make the building “occupiable,” she said. The recommendation which came out of the FOIP closed session was for the arts and culture centre to be “removed.” Also, a public engagement session should also be undertaken to get some “valuable input” from the community concerning planning and preserving arts and culture in their midst. Another recommendation was for the county to provide some additional financial support
to help carry out those plans. A motion was made by Councillor Lionel Williams “that council direct administration to remove the Paragon Theatre from its current address.” The word “remove” was later replaced in the county highlights with the word “demolish.” Deputy Reeve Gene Hrabec (Division 3) questioned the insurance issue of the building: “(It’s) no longer insurable but there is still insurance on this,” he said, noting: “We need to see the insurance documents so we can explain to people. Continued on Page 13