Last month, we learned that the Michael J. Fox Theatre in Burnaby was at risk of closing.
Fortunately, for the residents of Burnaby who use the venue, the facility has been saved, at least for now.
According to Burnaby City Council, a one-time grant valued at $300,000 will allow the theatre to stay open until the end of 2027, allowing the Burnaby School District to seek more sustainable solutions.
Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley calls the venue a “key cultural venue for both performers and audiences in the region.”
“We are in unprecedented economic times, and this funding is a small yet significant way to ensure the doors to the theatre can remain open while other solutions are looked at by the school district,” he said.
The theatre is owned by the Burnaby School District and is connected to Burnaby South Secondary School.
“It was operated by the Michael J Fox Theatre Society from 1993 to 2024 on behalf of the school district. With the departure of the Society in 2024, the School District requested that the City explore a potential role in the theatre’s future,” Burnaby City Council said in a release.
The City of Burnaby is recommending that the district engage in a partnership with a non-profit or community partners that could offer a better model for managing the theatre. A review by the City also found that the theatre needs over $700,000 in capital upgrades, which would be beyond the ongoing operating costs.
In mid-April, 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.
“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 me, being a Burnaby resident,” said Joe Sawan, a business agent for I.A.T.S.E Local 118.
The petition garnered over 5,000 signatures, and the petition page is now thanking signees.
“This is an important milestone — and a direct result of our community raising its voice. The work to find a permanent long-term solution continues,” an update on the petition page reads.