Sault Ste. Marie has always had a very active arts community, supporting many local theatre groups, musicians and dance studios. Since the early 1900’s, the local public school board has generously supported these groups by offering them the use of school auditoria with stages and lighting, including the Clayton Auditorium at the Sault Collegiate Institute and the Sault Technical School. Eventually, the school board was able to offer auditoria at Korah Collegiate and White Pines Collegiate and Vocational School. There has been a long relationship between local performing groups and the public school board.
In the 1970’s and 1980’s, dreams of a free-standing performing arts centre on the waterfront led to the formation of task forces to assess the community’s needs and how best to meet them. Both the “Dixon Bailey Report” in 1975, followed by the “Short-Ellis Report” in 1986 concluded that the community required a multi-purpose theatre that would accommodate an audience of about 1000. All possibilities were considered and it was concluded that until the community could afford to build and maintain a dedicated, free-standing facility, the White Pines Collegiate and Vocational School auditorium offered the best potential for development. The White Pines auditorium was built in 1974, and with 12,500 square feet and seating for nearly 984 it was well beyond the needs of a secondary school. Indeed, it was built with community use in mind. The viability of the White Pines auditorium as a community Arts Centre was further confirmed in the 1988 study and report of Brian Hall, a leading Canadian architect and theatre designer.
In September 1986 a group of concerned citizens, formed under the auspices of the Algoma Arts Council, sought funding for the renovation of the White Pines auditorium. Local Architect, Perry Short, donated his time and talent to design a $2.5 million plan to upgrade the auditorium into a modern, moderately well-equipped, multi-purpose theatre. The group succeeded in obtaining a federal provincial grant of $1.4 million to spearhead the development. This was generously supplemented by a $0.6 million grant from the City of Sault Ste. Marie. The balance was raised through donations from local citizens and corporations – eventually topped off by the support of the Kiwanis Club of Sault Ste. Marie, which facilitated final payment of the renovation project some ten years after its completion. Throughout the project, the Algoma District School Board patiently awaited repayment of financial advances it had made to permit completion of the renovation. School Board Directors of Education and Superintendents of Business were key administrators of government funding.
As a result of these efforts, the Sault Community Theatre Centre is able to offer a well-equipped theatre facility with comfortable seating for 907 (including 10 wheelchair seats). The Sault Community Theatre Centre is operated by a community-based working board of directors in a unique partnership with the Algoma District School Board (ADSB). The ADSB owns the space and has agreed that it will be used primarily as a community theatre, subject to the ADSB’s obligations under the Education Act. In practice this means that the school is the primary user of the space during school hours, and the Sault Community Theatre Centre is the primary user at other times, although both the Theatre and school are flexible and cooperative on scheduling. The theatre offers modern lighting, an articulated orchestra pit/thrust stage, fly rigging, and variable room and stage acoustics. Harmonics Engineering designed the sound system, which has since been upgraded by strategically designed reflectors, a stage sound shell and regularly refreshed sound and lighting technology.
The Sault Community Theatre Centre is a unique educational resource where music, drama, full musical productions and other school activities can be presented. Local community theatre groups have produced full musicals, such as Fiddler on the Roof, Jersey Boys, Legally Blonde and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. Local Dance Studios, the Sault Symphony, and Northland Barbershop Chorus have also performed regularly at the theatre.
In addition to supporting community arts groups, the Sault Community Theatre Centre has reduced Sault Ste. Marie’s relative isolation by providing a premier entertainment venue hosting world class and nationally recognized performers such as John Vickers, Richard Margison, Angella Hewitt, Dave Brubeck, Stephan Grapelli, Winton Marsalis, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Veronica Tennant and the Canadian Ballet, Stratford Festival productions, Bruce Cockburn, Gordon Lightfoot, Steve Earle, Jan Arden, Rick Mercer, The Rankins, Great Big Sea and many, many others.
