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Major Upgrades Shine Light on Aultsville Theatre

April 23, 2018
By Bob Peters

Cornwall Ontario –  Aultsville Theatre will be seen in a new light this summer following the installation of new lighting.

Funding has been secured to the order of $306,000 which will allow the theatre to replace the antiquated lighting fixtures with the new industry standard technology. Upgrading the theatrical lighting has been on the theatre’s list of improvements for many years now as it has been precariously operating with original lighting fixtures that were well beyond their life’s expectancy.

The theatre expects the new lighting equipment to be installed and in operation by mid-May.

“We are very thankful for the financial support and contributions from the various individuals, community groups and funding organizations,”says Felicity Svenson, President of the Aultsville Theatre Board of Directors. “We can’t wait for the community to experience the new lighting and see the improvement for themselves.”

Major contributions to this project are from the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund ($147,873), and the Ontario Trillium Foundation ($84,600). Grant applications were submitted to these funding organizations in the fall of 2017. Other funds for the project were raised through various events and initiatives, generous donations, and community organizations supporting the arts – Cornwall Concert Series, Centennial Choir of Cornwall, and Rotary Club of Cornwall Sunrise.

“This is a significant improvement to the theatre.” says Janet Martel, theatre manager. “Our clients will now have access to state of the art equipment, and our technicians will not have to worry anymore about the stability of the equipment.”

Aultsville Theatre has been serving the City of Cornwall and surrounding communities since 1976, hosting both touring and professional shows for the benefit of local audiences, and providing a fully-equipped performance venue for local arts and performance groups. The Theatre receives operational funding (in part) from the City of Cornwall.

There is a busy line up of great events booked into Aultsville Theatre this spring:

  • April 23, 2018 – Shopkins LIVE! Shop It Up!
  • May 4, 2018 – Cornwall Comedy Festival
  • May 5, 2018 – Cornwall Concert Series – Beatles Go Brass
  • May 11, 2018 – Centennial Choir of Cornwall
  • May 12, 2018 – Seaway Winds – 2017-2018 Season
  • May 28, 2018 – The Barra MacNeils – On the Bright Side

About the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund

The Canada Cultural Spaces Fund supports the improvement of physical conditions for arts, heritage, culture and creative innovation. The Fund supports renovation and construction projects, the acquisition of specialized equipment and feasibility studies related to cultural spaces. www.canada.ca

About the Ontario Trillium Fund

An agency of the Government of Ontario, the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is one of Canada’s largest granting foundations. With a budget of over $136 million, OTF awards grants to some 1,000 projects every year to build healthy and vibrant Ontario Communities.

About Aultsville Theatre

Aultsville Theatre is located on the campus of the St. Lawrence College, along the shores of the scenic St. Lawrence River. Audiences and performers alike enjoy excellent acoustics, sight lines, reception and ambiance  in the 658-seat theatre. Aultsville Theatre is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors that manages the theatre as a non-profit, charitable organization.

For more news on what’s happening at the Theatre, please visit

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