After a rocky start to the year, marked by legal opposition and delays, the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake is moving forward with construction plans for one of its beloved landmarks. The Royal George Theatre has finally received the green light to proceed with demolition after Ontario courts dismissed a judicial review filed against the town, and crews are wasting no time getting to work.
The 111-year-old building, owned by the Shaw Festival, was scheduled for demolition in March but faced pushback from Centurion Building Corp., which filed the judicial review requesting an investigation into the town's approval process.
The application alleged the town failed to comply with several laws, including the Ontario Heritage Act.
The court concluded that the town considered all applicable factors under the Ontario Heritage Act and ruled in favor of the Shaw Festival and the municipality. The Court of Appeal dismissed the matter May 20, and demolition began May 28.
Niagara-on-the-Lake Lord Mayor Mayor Gary Zalepa said the project is progressing.
"Demolition permits were approved recently. The Ontario court ruled in favor of the town on all counts, and the application is proceeding," Zalepa said. "The Shaw Festival is proceeding with the removal of the building and getting the site ready for the construction phase."
Shaw Festival Executive Director and CEO Tim Jennings said he is excited about the new design, which will make the theater the first Rick Hansen Gold-certified theatre in North America.
"It's designed so that a person with mobility issues can work or visit in any part of the building, including all the technical galleries, the catwalks, the grid, all these design spaces, the basements, all the mechanical rooms," Jennings said. "Everything's designed to support hearing impairments, visual impairments and any other accessibility needs we could think of."
In addition to becoming an "unparalleled" accessible theater, the Royal George is also slated to become the first carbon-neutral theater in North America, according to Shaw Festival officials. The updated theater is expected to be completed in 2029, barring any future delays.
