Tag: Culture

La Jeunesse Choirs  Re-starting

John Draper

La Jeunesse Choirs was shut down because of Covid but they are now holding auditions – they are currently looking for youth ages 7-18 to audition for their 2022-2023 season. Auditions are being held at Cobourg’s United Church with the next audition day coming up: Saturday, August 13th!  See Resources below for signup link.  Rehearsals start September 13, 2022. Their schedule includes two concerts (one around Christmas) plus a Musical Theatre event in 2023 at Victoria Hall: Disney’s Descendants on May 19th and 20th. Tickets will be available for these events at Victoria Hall’s box office. La Jeunesse Choirs is a dedicated and respected charitable organization whose mission is to support, share and celebrate the diverse musical talents of Northumberland… Read complete articleLa Jeunesse Choirs  Re-starting

Ad Hoc Committee Provides Four Options for Memorial Arena

John Draper

In 2021, an Ad Hoc Committee was set up to review options for the future use of the Memorial Arena which was closed in 2019.  A public survey was posted in May 2022 and at the next Committee of the Whole (CoW) meeting on July 11, the committee will present their recommendation.  Their first choice is that it become the location for the Canadian Fire Fighters Museum which had opened in Port Hope in 1984 and operated for 33 years but then closed.  They then stored their artifacts pending finding a suitable location.  The committee’s second choice was that it become the location for Top Prize Events which stages Entertainment events, notably professional wrestling. Third choice was to issue an… Read complete articleAd Hoc Committee Provides Four Options for Memorial Arena

The Cobourg Loft to Close

John Draper

Today Ken Prue announced that his unique venue, the Cobourg Loft, is to close on 30 October 2022. This is because the new owners of the building have decided to convert the space to residential apartments. The building was sold a few months ago and it has been business as usual since then. Ken has operated the Loft for 8 years and it has gained a reputation as Cobourg’s home of exceptional quality film and occasional live music performances.  Ken hopes to continue to present live music at Victoria Hall and wants to reassure everyone that the Loft will be fully operational right up to the end.  His announcement came as the footnote to a regular newsletter and is worth… Read complete articleThe Cobourg Loft to Close

Update on Memorial Arena Re-Purposing

John Draper

The Cobourg Community Centre opened in 2011 with two ice pads and made the Jack Heenan and Memorial Arenas on Furnace Street redundant.  The newer Jack Heenan Arena was taken over by the West Northumberland Curling Club and in 2019 the Memorial Arena was shut down. I believe it was Cobourg’s first publicly owned Arena. It’s now 70 years old – it was opened in January 1950 but a fire in 1953 closed it until it was rebuilt in 1954. In 2019, staff thought that the Cultural Plan might suggest uses but that didn’t happen so eventually an Ad Hoc Committee was formed to suggest what might happen to it.  (By-Law 021-2021 was passed 20 September 2021). See links below… Read complete articleUpdate on Memorial Arena Re-Purposing

Netflix back in Cobourg

John Draper

In 2019, Netflix came to Cobourg’s Downtown and filmed parts of season 1 of Ginny and Georgia and from February 22 to 25, they will be back again – filming parts of Season 2.  In October 2019 Kara Euale made a presentation to the DBIA about filming; she provided details of the benefits of this kind of disruption – her Powerpoint is in Resources below.  It’s not just the fees paid but also the publicity which attracts tourists.  This time, there will be approximately 120 crew members, 100 background performers and 40 production trucks.  They will film in Victoria Park, in front of Victoria Hall and along King Street West from Third Street to Hibernia Street.  Some roads will be… Read complete articleNetflix back in Cobourg

Sidbrook, Brookside and 93 Albert

John Draper

There are now at least three Heritage buildings in Cobourg which their owners may be trying to demolish by neglect although hopefully the owners of Brookside (the Province) will move quickly to dispel this possibility.  In a letter to Council, Keith Oliver raises the issue – details below.  Separately, at Monday’s Council meeting, Councillor Adam Bureau gives notice of a motion to ask the Province to use Brookside as a winter homeless shelter.  If that happened, then at least minimum maintenance would be done on Brookside.  If the Province is slow to act and heat is not provided, then it could quickly get to a similar state as Sidbrook – see video below. But it seems to me that the… Read complete articleSidbrook, Brookside and 93 Albert

Council Divided on Demolition of 93 Albert

John Draper

At the Committee of the Whole (CoW) Council meeting on December 6, Council were asked to support a Cobourg Heritage Advisory Committee (CHAC) recommendation to deny permission to approve demolition of the building at 93 Albert Street (see report in Links below).  But before a vote was taken, Councillor Darling moved to refer the decision to the CoW meeting on January 3 so that there would be more time to study the issue.  At that meeting (Monday night), the Chair of the CHAC (Graham Andrews) and Vice Chair (Ken Bagshaw) spoke out strongly as to why they wanted to deny permission contrary to a Staff recommendation and then Council debated if they should accept the recommendation of Heritage /Planning Staff… Read complete articleCouncil Divided on Demolition of 93 Albert

Cultural Master Plan Buried

John Draper

Whatever happened to the idea that Cobourg should encourage Culture – you know, visual and performing arts? In 2019 a consultant delivered a Cultural Master Plan to Council (see resources below) but it’s now buried – no direct link anywhere on the Town’s web site. When Dean Hustwick was hired in 2016, his title was Director of Parks and Recreation with the idea that his mandate would include Culture and Tourism. That Department is now called Community Services but Culture is not mentioned. The Strategic planning update in early 2021 downgraded the goal labelled “Consider Arts, Culture and Tourism Division” and the only time culture is mentioned is when citizens make a presentation to Council. If there are any Town… Read complete articleCultural Master Plan Buried