THUNDER BAY — Both the City of Thunder Bay and the head of the Community Auditorium's board of directors are speaking out after speculation on social media about the future of the facility.
A recent post by a former auditorium board member suggested the 1500-seat facility is in financial distress and will eventually have to be handed over to the city.
In late 2022, Thunder Bay City Council approved a new arms-length relationship with the auditorium and they are legally separate organizations.
The city put up over $3 million to cover the auditorium's accumulated deficit and provide capital funding, while the arrangement also opened the door to new fundraising opportunities such as lotteries and applying for grants from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
At the time, auditorium General Manager Trevor Hurtig said "We’re going to be like most arts organizations, like Magnus, like the Art Gallery… where we're a non-profit organization, we’re supported and funded…by the city, but having said that, we run like an independent business.”
Last January, Hurtig reported the entertainment venue turned a profit in the first year of the new operating model.
He said "there were a few ups and downs throughout 2023 and 2024" but that, overall, "we're showing that we're seeing some steady growth and heading in the right direction.”
The financial results for 2024 are still in the hands of auditors.
Jason Perrier, the current president of the board, told Newswatch "Being on our own, it's very different for us. We're looking at sponsorships, we're doing a lot of different things. We are working very well with the city. We have no issues with the city."
He said he has no concerns about the long-term future of the auditorium, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year.
"I think we have a commitment from our board, and we have a phenomenal management staff and an excellent crew that provide the best quality work that we can. Our goal is to make sure we're here for the next 40 years."
Perrier said the auditorium is working with the city on a number of upcoming events including the Teddy Bears Picnic, Summer in the Park concert series, and Canada Day celebrations.
But the anniversary is a priority, he said, and there are already a number of high-profile performers lined up, including Blue Rodeo and Rick Mercer.
"We're constantly looking at bringing as much entertainment and events to the building as possible. We're looking at 2026 opportunities as we speak," he said, adding that the TBCA is one of the best auditoriums in the world "when it comes to music and sound."
The City of Thunder Bay issued a statement last week denying what it described as an online post suggesting the city has "cut funding" to the auditorium.
"This claim is not accurate. The city remains a major funder and long-standing supporter of the TBCA," it said.
Last year, the city contributed a sustaining grant of $837,000 through its community, youth and cultural funding program.
It does not provide direct capital funding, but has established a dedicated capital reserve fund to support improvements to the building, and has contributed $400,000 to date.
Access to the fund requires the approval of city council.
"We have maintained a strong and collaborative working relationship," the city stated. "Our commitment to the auditorium's long-term sustainability and success remains unchanged."
Perrier said "there's no end date" for the arrangement with the city. "We're actually in the process of applying for the 2026 funding. It's due in June, so it's a yearly process."
In the meantime, he said, the auditorium's development committee "is looking at everything under the sun" in terms of additional funding opportunities, including 50/50 draws.
Perrier added "It's been a long process to get everything going. We just finally got a brand new document with our new logo on it, and we're starting to see clients within the city" for sponsorships.
