The City of Burnaby says it has approved a one-time grant up to $300,000 to the Burnaby School District (BSD) to support the operating costs of the Michael J. Fox Theatre, to be allocated through this year and 2027.
However, the school district — which operates the theatre — says it was initially unaware of the proposal and has to work with the Burnaby Board of Education to evaluate its feasibility.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!“It is important to reiterate that costs borne by the District go beyond that of the theatre’s estimated $150,000 operating loss for this year,” the BSD said in a news release after learning of the grant’s approval.
“The District also spent approximately $200,000 over the last year in general District staff time for theatre-related work. Additionally, the theatre requires more than $700,000 in capital upgrades.”
Last month, the BSD said it could not afford to keep the theatre open and ended community bookings after June 30, citing operational deficits.
Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley says the grant is not supposed to be a long-term remedy as the goal is to find other “sustainable solutions.”
The theatre’s financial issues became worse for the school district when the Michael J. Fox Theatre Society, which ran the facility together with the school authority until 2024, exited the operational business.
Ever since, the BSD has been urging the City of Burnaby to fill that gap to save the future of the theatre, with Burnaby City Council saying back in April that it would look into the matter.
However, Tuesday’s announcement sounds like a rejection of any active participation through the City of Burnaby.
“After a comprehensive review, City staff determined that assuming a larger role would impose significant costs and long-term liabilities on taxpayers without proper ownership or control,” Cole Wagner, public affairs manager at Burnaby City Hall, said.
He advises the school district to use the time the grant provides to keep searching for other business partners, such as non-profit organizations.
After last month’s announcement, union workers and artists said the closure of the theatre could have significant impacts on the employees of the facility and the arts and culture scene in the city.
On average, the Michael J. Fox Theatre hosts 200 performances in a year.
Editor’s note: a previous version of this story had stated the theatre was going to be kept running for two years due to the grant. However, the Burnaby School District tells 1130 NewsRadio the city’s proposal is still being evaluated to determine its feasibility.