Opening Nite Theatre has been forced to seek out a new home after a change to Mission’s bylaws. 📷 Tyler Olsen

This story first appeared in the November 25, 2024, edition of the Fraser Valley Current newsletter. Subscribe for free to get Fraser Valley news in your email every weekday morning.

ACT I

The lights come up, illuminating the interior of a small theatre. A city official wearing a hard hat and reflective vest holds a clipboard and looks toward the ceiling. He grimaces in an exaggerated fashion and shakes his head. A woman, the theatre operator, holds her head in distress. Beside her, a wide-eyed young actor looks on with worry in his eyes.

INSPECTOR: Yeeeeeep. You see those sprinklers up there?

THEATRE MANAGER: What sprinklers?

INSPECTOR: Exactly! You need sprinklers.

THEATRE MANAGER: We’ve been renting this space and staging plays here for a decade!

INSPECTOR: Well, this is 2024. You need sprinklers in a theatre. This place is a death trap.

THEATRE MANAGER: A death trap!?!?

INSPECTOR: Well, that’s the official terminology. The building itself is more or less fine, but it’s in violation of at least three provincial building codes so it’s got official Death Trap status that means you can’t stage plays here.

The inspector slaps a prominent red notice over what had been an official-looking sign showing the building’s occupancy limit, prompting an extended moan from the theatre manager.

SCENE

You know what happens next in a fictional play. A community rallies; the building inspector gets some kind of comeuppance; a new relationship is formed; a last-minute problem threatens to doom the whole endeavour; and in the end, a local institution is saved, proving to grumps and idealists alike that a theatre is a vital part of a community.

But real life comes with no guarantee of a satisfying third act, and months after being told its home base of nearly two decades could no longer host plays, Mission’s Opening Nite Theatre continues to search for a happy ending.

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Rocky Blondin2 years ago

Great piece on what is truly a tragedy, and a self inflicted wound by the City.

The City is doing this non-stop, especially downtown. The genesis of it is: there's an older building, someone has a new (or existing) idea on a way to use it. The City's bylaws state that it needs to be upgraded to the latest (and ever evolving) building code. So - every older building is essentially slated to be stuck in time ; either in use by an existing tenant, or else vacant for long spells.

Safety is important...but... the City overstates the risk, and does nothing about the consequences of their policy and enforcement decisions. It doesn't need to be this way ; they choose this through bad policy, heavy-handed enforcement, and a long standing conflation between risk vs liability. City thinks they are liable for the weather ; the reality is life is full of risks and often where all the fun happens.

And this theatre was really fun ; I'm really going to miss their holiday panto this year!

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bonnie laing2 years ago

yes, that is too bad there is no space for artists. I did suggest to purchase the old theatre on main street, but that was not a very good match according to Atebe. It is for sale and to me it would be the perfect location for so many people and groups to use.. i know that a lot of upgrading would need to be done, but in many countries the community has taken on way larger building upgrades to old historic places then this small local building not understanding why it would not be a good match... confused and would love to see this historic old theatre come to life again

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