Facility worth keeping

By Richard Rolke Apr 04 2007 Vernon Morningstar

Greater Vernon’s auditorium has garnered a bad rap over the years, but there is far more to the facility than just the rhetoric and financial losses. I spent part of my weekend within the confines of the auditorium at the Vernon Recreation Complex. On Friday night, was the Allan Brooks Nature Centre’s annual banquet and auction, while Saturday was Shop-A-Rama.
I certainly had misgivings about attending a semi-formal banquet in the auditorium. After all, it’s not that physically attractive. Wooden planks dominate the room, and the concrete risers are just hideous. With the auditorium a creation of the mid-1960s, I thought perhaps it represented architectural stylings of that time period. But those thoughts were dashed after talking to Coun. Pat Cochrane. He insists the design wasn’t stylish even then.

But that aside, the diversity of the events I attended shows there is still a lot of life left in the facility. It is one of the few public spaces with a large flat floor. That allows for everything from banquets and craft shows, including Creative Chaos, to the Colours of India and the Feather Fanciers bird show. It is also an excellent venue for processing evacuees during major emergencies such as wildfires. Another selling card is the large kitchen. No other public facility has a cooking area like this, making it easier for catering large events. Obviously the schedule isn’t chock-a-block, but find me any taxpayer-owned facility that is constantly full or making money. There isn’t one, at least not in the Greater Vernon area. If the bottom line was the be-all and end-all, we’d shut down the entire recreation complex, the Multiplex and every park, not to mention city hall. There are some issues that go beyond money and one of them is meeting the various needs of the community.

But of course we don’t want to bleed red ink all over the place so some effort to recover costs is required. And that’s exactly what the Greater Vernon Services Committee is attempting to do. It has budgeted $150,000 for massive renovations to the auditorium, while a provincial government grant is also being sought. With the concrete risers gone and a more aesthetically pleasing environment, perhaps there will be more bookings. There is also a chance the facility could become home to the North Valley Gymnastics Club which would also provide some rent money.

It was recently suggested by the Vernon Taxpayers Association that the library branch move into the auditorium, but that is a concept that should be abandoned. First of all, there is not sufficient room for a library that is expected to meet the needs of a growing community for years to come. Secondly, I would suspect that constructing a custom-built branch from scratch would be more cost-effective than the major renovations that would be required to turn the auditorium into something suitable for a library. Finally, this idea would rob the community of a flat-floor space space in public hands. One just has to stand in the middle of the auditorium to see its potential. Look past the tacky, out-dated design and envision a facility that is versatile and accommodating. It is time for the auditorium to undergo a facelift so it can continue to serve the community into the future.