News release

Halifax West Community Theatre Receives Federal Funding

Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations (Oct. 2000 - March 2014)

Community groups and students in the western area of Halifax Regional Municipality will soon have a new theatre and auditorium.

The Halifax West Community Theatre Association will receive $367,000 in federal funding, through the Canada-Nova Scotia Infrastructure Program. The announcement was made today, June 17, by federal Fisheries and Oceans Minister Geoff Regan, on behalf of Joseph McGuire, Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.

The federal funding will be for specific capital costs associated with establishing the new theatre in the Halifax West High School, which may include seating, lights and an audio system.

"The new theatre and auditorium will provide an important venue for multicultural and community groups and will anchor the fast-growing Halifax West community both socially and culturally," said Mr. Regan. "It's also important to note that this project would not have been possible without the tireless and ongoing fundraising efforts of the theatre association."

No provincial funding is included in the theatre expenditure. Responsibility for obtaining the remaining dollars needed to complete the $2-million project will rest with the Halifax West Community Theatre Society.

"We are confident that we will be able to raise the remaining funds required," said Gary O’Hara, president of the Halifax West Community Theatre Association. "The theatre will provide a venue for a socially and culturally diverse community where more than 50 languages are spoken."

To date, almost $208 million has been invested in 143 projects through the program. The project announced today represents one of the final allocations of funding under the Canada Nova Scotia Infrastructure Program.

The six-year Canada-Nova Scotia Infrastructure Program is administered by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations. Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation is a member of the management committee. The Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities is represented on the program's management committee.