A well-loved theatre in Burnaby is at risk of closing if it doesn’t find new management in the coming weeks.
Last week, I.A.T.S.E Local 118, a union that represents theatrical stage employees in Greater Vancouver, posted a petition, warning that the theatre could close on July 1, 2026, and calling on Burnaby City Council to take action to save the theatre.
It has since garnered nearly 3,200 signatures.
“We don’t have many spaces really in Vancouver. Theatre space is really hard to come by, so losing a theatre of this type is kind of devastating to the community, especially for myself as being a Burnaby resident,” said Joe Sawan, a business agent for I.A.T.S.E Local 118.
“It’s devastating to our members, as well.”
The Michael J Fox Theatre opened in 1993 and has since hosted thousands of arts, theatre, dance, and cultural events. In recent years, however, it’s been going through management issues.
Sawan said that the previous board of the Michael J Fox Theatre Society resigned, and the School District of Burnaby took over the management in the interim.
Meanwhile, the City of Burnaby announced in January 2025 that City staff would undertake an analysis and report back to City Council “on the feasibility of the City’s involvement with the future of the theatre.”
However, the City has yet to release further information.
Sawan said several employees of the Michael J Fox Theatre reached out to the union in March, asking them to file a certification with the Michael J Fox Theatre Society. He said they did this and were preparing to negotiate their first agreement with the School Board.
“And then we sat down with the Burnaby school board HR person on April 8, and she notified us that they were giving 11 weeks’ working layoff notice,” he said.
“Which we found was pretty brutal. I mean, can you imagine being told you’re losing your job and then being asked to work there for another 11 weeks while they figure things out?”
In a press release published on April 14, the School District of Burnaby announced the theatre would no longer be available for community bookings as of July 1.
“Unfortunately, it is not financially viable for the school district to maintain usage of the theatre beyond school and District-related purposes,” reads the press release.
“The District’s primary fiscal responsibility is toward education for students,” it adds.
Daily Hive Urbanized reached out to the City of Burnaby and will update this story with their response.
People on Reddit shared their sentiments about the theatre.
“No longer a Burnaby resident (Port Moody) but growing up, [the] M J Fox Theatre was a staple of the community,” said one commenter. “Shame on the Burnaby School Board for doing this to begin with and not supporting the arts of students and the community. But also shame to the politicians for not doing anything to fix it immediately. There is also no reason we shouldn’t support community events to begin with. I’m disappointed severely with both.”
“Canada’s inability to invest in itself and foster its art scene strikes again. So sad,” added another.