Ain’t it grand?

Even though Natalie MacMaster was the first to perform in the new Townshend Theatre, she didn’t receive the first standing ovations in the facility–those were reserved for John Dutton and Carol Lyons.
The crowd got to its feet as John Dutton, chair of the community auditorium committee, took the stage at Monday night’s grand opening ceremonies for the new theatre just prior to MacMaster’s first concert.
People got out of their seats to cheer again when Dutton praised Lyons for her role in making the Townshend Theatre a reality, noting she was a person who was “always doing and never complaining.”
“We finally arrived at the point I didn’t know we were going to get to,” Dutton said to the near-capacity crowd, noting it has been a long time since the first group of people started up the idea of having an auditorium built with the multi-use facility back in 1993.
Dutton said the theatre came together through the efforts of a lot of people, including the past and present town council, the Northern Ontario Heritage Funding Corporation, and the members of the community auditorium committee.
But the biggest thanks, he said, deserved to go to the community at large for giving them the mandate to build the theatre and for “putting their money where their mouth is.”
“You came through like no other community,” Dutton said. “If we’re going to thank anybody, thank you.”
“A lot of work from individuals and groups made this theatre and this night a reality,” echoed Dennis Brunn, chair of the Rainy River District School Board, noting having the theatre combined with the new high school will be a big benefit to the students as well as the community.
“It’s not been an easy time [getting here],” Brunn said. “But as with anything worthwhile, it takes hard work and determination.”
Mayor Glenn Witherspoon virtually bubbled over with excitement as he took the podium.
He said he recalled the early meetings with the committee in the old high school, and how council had come up with the statement that if the community raised $500,000, the town would find a way to come up with the rest.
“In less than 35 days, you had $500,000 in pledges,” he remarked. “What community! It makes me very proud to be mayor.”
Mayor Witherspoon recognized the past councillors and current ones for their efforts in making the theatre a reality, also crediting the town’s administration staff for their work on the project.
“There were some heated debates [over this],” he said, “But know what? We’re here now and that’s what counts.”
As well, Mayor Witherspoon tipped his hat to local MPP and NDP leader Howard Hampton for his efforts at parliament with the project.
Hampton admitted there was a time he wasn’t sure the theatre project would happen, noting there were a lot of obstacles in the way that had to be overcome.
Like Dutton, Hampton credited the community for making things succeed, noting it and other infrastructure projects, like the new arena and the waterfront development, just add to the community.
“What that says to me is this is a very progressive community,” Hampton said. “We should all be proud of the effort.”