vancourier.com
THE VOICE of VANCOUVER NEIGHBOURHOODS
Acoupleof Hamms
MIDWEEK EDITION
23
WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013
Vol. 104 No. 43 • Established 1908
OPINION: BCTF likely to be Liberals’ main opposition 10 SPORTS: Memorial soccer jersey 25
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City asked to look into theatre sale COUNCILLOR, PROMOTER WANT PERFORMANCES TO CONTINUE AT CENTRE MIKE HOWELL Staff writer
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photo Rebecca Blissett
HANDS DOWN FUN: The rain held off for most of the afternoon during the South Hill Festival
Saturday, so it was, fortunately, a dry mat for members of John Oliver secondary school’s wrestling team who were on hand to give festivalgoers a taste of the sport. Handstands, cartwheels and flips are part of the warm up routine.
New Spring Markdowns up to
40
%
Off
ews of a potential sale of a downtown performance theatre to a church has a city councillor requesting city staff examine what it can do to keep the purchaser from cancelling events scheduled this year at the venue. NPA Coun. Elizabeth Ball said she also wants city staff to see whether it has any power to ensure the new owner of the Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts continues to use the venue for arts and culture. “To a lose a major purpose-built theatre — no matter what its flaws are — in the centre of a cultural precinct, well there’s just something very wrong there,” said Ball, noting the Centre on Homer Street is located in the same hub as the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, the Vancouver Public Library and the CBC. As the Courier reported May 7, the Westside Church entered into a “purchase sales agreement” to buy the 1,800seat theatre from owners, Four Brothers Entertainment. Westside’s lead pastor, Norm Funk, said in a March blog post on the church’s website that it had 75 days to evaluate the building before finalizing a deal. The Courier has been unable to gather further details on the sale despite repeated messages left for the church and Centre owners, Four Brothers Entertainment. Ball detailed her concerns in a motion to council that was expected to be heard Wednesday after members of the public, including a representative of the Goh Ballet, had a chance to address council. See PROMOTER on page 4
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