City council heard Tuesday that a performing arts centre could be open as early as 2023

By Chad Klassen

PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

Former United Way director hopes to help performing arts centre get built this time

Jun 18, 2019 | 8:21 PM

KAMLOOPS — A former executive director of the Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo United Way is helping lead the charge for a new performing arts centre in the city.

Brenda Aynsley, now a director on the new Kamloops Centre for the Arts Society, spoke to city council on Tuesday afternoon about the organization’s vision. The non-profit run by volunteers is in charge of putting a business case together and convincing residents it needs a new arts centre.

The business case for the $70 million proposal is the first of six priorities for the society, which aims to better educate people about the project, the costs and benefits. It also hopes to sign up residents for memberships (estimated to be $5-10) that will go towards the proposed centre.

Aynsley believes it can convince people the centre necessary, despite a 54 per cent ‘no’ vote in the 2015 referendum.

“We can do that,” she said with certainty. “You can see recently with the Sagebrush, dance groups couldn’t get in there. It touches every [arts] group in the community. That’s our job. With people that we have as directors on the board, we’ll be reaching out to different circles in the community and finding those people who don’t know a lot about it or how much we need it.”

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Brenda Aynsley, who was the executive director of the Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo United Way from 2004 to 2015, is now a director on the newly-formed Kamloops Centre for the Arts Society (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

Aynsley was the local United Way director for 11 years before moving to the Lower Mainland for a promotion in 2015. She returned to Kamloops in January, attending Ron Fawcett’s initial arts centre presentation to council. It led to her being chosen to be part of the society.

“I’ve lived in Kamloops for 38 years now and it’s something I’ve always known that we needed,” she said following her presentation to city council. “When you’re growing up and your kids are busy, you’re not really aware of how much you need it. For me, it was stepping outside this community and seeing the possibilities, knowing the political and good will was here to make it happen.”

Fundraising will be a big part of the new society, which includes the major arts groups and other community members. Anysley says her role with the United Way will help with fundraising efforts.

She told council on Tuesday if everything goes as planned, the proposed arts centre could be built by as early as 2023.

Fawcett and his wife Rae have committed to donating the Telus annex building downtown for centre space, worth about $10 million. Fawcett, who’s now 80 years old, joked to council he hopes to be at the first production when he’s 84.