Community says goodbye to Cade

Kristin Froneman - Vernon Morning Star Published: October 01, 2009 6:00 PM

A visit to Michael Cade’s office is always an entertaining experience. With posters on the walls of just about every show that has come to the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre since it opened, the centre’s managing and artistic director loves to regale visitors with stories about the theatre and the arts, and sometimes reveals a little gossip about what takes place behind the scenes. “He also has the largest plastic food collection in the province,” laughs Stuart Benoit, manager of the Ticket Seller box office, about Cade’s penchant for collectibles. “He buys stuff like sandwiches on eBay, even has plastic sushi from Japan,” said Benoit, who has known Cade the past 20 years.

Cade officially leaves the Performing Arts Centre Saturday to take on the role of manager of Chilliwack’s Cultural Centre. He and Benoit initially came to Vernon from Kamloops –– Cade from the Western Canada Theatre and Benoit from the Kamloops Live! box office –– to work at the centre before it officially opened in October, 2001. Paul Jones, one of the original members of the Performing Arts Centre Society board who had a vision 19 years ago to see a theatre open in Vernon, believes Cade is the reason for the centre’s success. “He’s a spark plug,” said Jones. “When we started out there wasn’t anyone on the board who knew how a theatre operated. We only had the desire to see a centre be established. Getting Michael was one of the best things we did. He had the energy and the foresight to get it going.”A fan of dance, Jones says he especially appreciates Cade for always bringing in a varied dance series to the society’s season. “He has made our theatre known throughout the dance community across Canada as a place that welcomes and favours the discipline,” he said. “You have to have guts because there is always going to be some loss of money. Some things you think will sell well don’t, and then there are the shows that you think won’t that do. He’s pushed no matter what.”

Cade has not only had an effect on the arts community, but those not attuned to arts and culture.After his first election as Vernon mayor in 2005, Wayne Lippert, a former auto mechanic known to enjoy outdoor pursuits, met with Cade. “Michael came into my office when I was a brand new mayor and he told me he was going to make it his goal by the end of the term to see that I had an appreciation for the arts.” Cade followed up on his mission, persuading Lippert to attend shows, even giving him tickets, and the mayor started going to the theatre, and says he enjoyed what he saw. Cade followed up on his mission, persuading Lippert to attend shows, even giving him tickets, and the mayor started going to the theatre, and says he enjoyed what he saw. “He opened up a whole new aspect to me,” said Lippert. “As someone who didn’t have an idea of the impact of the arts, I will always remember him for his subtle manner in helping me understand, instead of telling me how things are. He took the time to show me how arts and culture can benefit a community.”

Cade has also had an impact on his staff. Margarita Alejandre, who worked at the Ticket Seller when the box office first opened, was travelling in Australia when she received an e-mail from Cade.“He had a job opportunity for me he thought I’d be perfect for, and asked when I could start,” she remembers.Alejandre returned to Vernon three weeks later to start work as the centre’s first audience development coordinator, a position she held until last year. “Being an artist myself, it was great to work with him. He has always been involved with all the arts communities,” she said. “He got everyone excited about the arts, not just the performing arts, but the visual as well. He has been such a valuable person to have in the community.”

During his tenure, Cade had to secure grants, funding, sponsorships and other monies so that a variety of shows could go ahead.Alan Carter, with the Vernon branch of the Royal Bank of Canada Foundation, worked with Cade as a supporter of theatre presentations focused on school-age children, with topics covering bullying, degradation, aboriginal issues, date rape and climate change. The shows at the Performing Arts Centre have dovetailed well with our corporate initiatives. "He has represented the Performing Arts Centre and the community well by bringing these shows that are pertinent and relevant to kids,” he said.

Presenters bringing their respective shows to the theatre say Cade has been a valuable resource, always offering a hand or advice to make sure each presentation succeeds. “Michael is and has always been an amazing resource for presenters,” said Loretta-Bell Hardy, with the Rebuilding Hurlburt Campaign, which has presented three concerts at the centre.“He has a genuine intuition for the performing arts, knowledge of Vernon as a community and always has time to share his ideas with a potential presenter. The success of the theatre’s first decade is undoubtedly due to his leadership.”Michele Blais, the former executive director of the Family Resource Centre, has also worked with Cade on a number of shows.“One of the aspects I really appreciated about Michael was his ability to form partnerships –– relationships between sectors. We the non-profit (sector) partnering with a theatre –– and doing so on numerous projects that were successful for both, including concerts, workshops, Rotary events, the free tickets to the families –– it was very collaborative and always positive,” she said.

The community can bid farewell to Cade at the Performing Arts Centre’s eighth annual birthday bash with Barney Bentall and the Grand Cariboo Opry, Saturday at 8 p.m.Tickets are available at the Ticket Seller box office, 549-7469, www.ticketseller.ca.

--------------------

http://www.chilliwack.com/main/page.cfm?id=1832

July 31, 2009

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HIRED FOR
NEW CHILLIWACK CULTURAL CENTRE

CHILLIWACK B.C. – The Chilliwack Arts and Cultural Centre Board of Directors announced today that they have hired an Executive Director to run the Chilliwack Cultural Centre, which is slated to open in September of 2010.

Michael Cde Recently appointed as Executive Director, Chilliwack Arts and Cultural Centre Board

Following an extensive search and interview process, Michael Cade has been selected. He is expected to start in early October, 2009. Cade has been the only Artistic and Managing Director for the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre since it opened 8 years ago. He was hired there 6 months prior to their opening and brings a very successful record of running the Centre, along with his start-up experience. Mr. Cade has worked in theatre production and management in BC for 21 years and was selected as the ‘British Columbia Presenter of the Year’ by the BC Touring Council in 2005. He has a degree in technical theatre and theatre design.