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stouffville suntribune thursday dec 2 2004 3 stouffville says byhannelore volpe tommy douglas was chosen as the greatest canadian monday do you agree asked at a p in stouffville tuesday morning stan campbell i was hoping frederick banting the dis coverer of insulin would win but i think tommy douglas was a good choice jeannette zuccoun 5rflesfe 3br hum m i m eksks m sgm mb i am disappointed don cherry was even on the list i think tommy douglas was a good choice ron cooper tommy douglas was a very appropriate choice he did an awful lot for people out west and for the country when he got to ottawa susan dekker i had terry fox in mind because of the aware ness he brought to cancer research and the fact the terry fox run is now worldwide theatre proposals have long history from page 1 has received municipal funding in the latest move council agreed in september a concept and business plan for building be done by the ventin group ventin shares its findings and receives public response monday at 7 pm during a meeting in the council chambers fourth floor 37 sandiforddr this is the third time ventin has studied the building the first was for the clock tower theatre association the second for then- councillor sherbans proposal in the summer of 2002 at that time she proposed the building house the municipal offices and a multi purpose centre that required an addition on the building and her proposal was not chosen at a sub sequent council meeting a nineyear journey for the structure which sits almost empty at 19 civic ave started in december 1995 a nineyear journey for the structure which sits almost empty at 19 civic ave started in december 1995 thats when jim rehill and dave duggan made a presentation to council suggesting a performing arts centre in the old town hall the clock tower theatre association held numerous fundraising concerts the last one in march 2001 throughthe years the association managed to raise around 10000 after the municipal offices were mdved out of the building in september 1998 the association asked council to lease the building for five years and explore putting a theatre in it the association paid a nominal sum plus utility bills and the building became home to sev eral groups of artists potters and musicians in 2000 the association had a study done by ventin to determine the feasibility of constructing a 350seat live theatre there valued at 25 million in this scenario the building would have been expanded at the back and the the atre would be on the second floor however in march 2002 coun cil decided not to convert the town hall to a multipurpose facility we simply do not have the finances clocktower committee chairperson eric button said at the time fundraisingwasgoing on simultaneously for what became the lebovic centre library and indoor pool we couldnt get major spon sors or the town to commit funds committee member doris harvey said- council considered leasing or selling the building in april 2002 and put out a call for proposals that summer among mem was one by mrs sherban she hired ventin to make an artistic rendering of the building as a theatre at mat time ventiris paul sapounzi urged council to abandon plans to lease or sell the building and recognize the his toric and architectural value of the building and use it as a theatre he also suggested a 25000- squarefoot addition be added to house the municipal office in other proposals don quarles owner of the melody man entertainment production com pany wanted to partner with the town to lease the building and turn it into a multipurpose cul tural centre karen young of the clocktower potters group wanted a decision on leasing or selling the building to be delayed to give her group time to form an arts council council chose the proposal of arrowsmith architectural group and its partner roberts bell engineering ltd in june the pro posal involved the architectural and engineering firms using the top floor for offices while buying or leasing the bottom floor for a cultural arts centre however two months later mrs sherban pleaded with the owners of arrowsmith during a council meeting to pull out of the running to occupy the buildings top floor the deal fell through a short time later the building received its her itage designation in november 2002 a month later council decid ed a seniors centre could be put into the first floor but nothing came of it at the same council meeting artistbenny van velsen represent- show must go on old town hal steeped in showbiz his tory the old municipal building was con structed in 1900 the lower level was a dutch market while the upper became a conceit hall called the auditorium a bowling alley was added later by ernie stouffer silent movies were first shown here in 1923 followed by talking pictures the building was bought by the pdebn theatre chain in 1949 the village of stouffville bought the building in 1959 staff photosjoerd witteveen performers from yorkdurham academy of the performing arts newman concepts in dance anne milne school of dance music mania and motus o gather in front of the old town hall suppoters want the building turned into a theatre complex ing artists in the building calling themselves the clocktower artists association proposed construct ing studio space creating a gallery giving art lessons and opening a music and art supply store the whitchurchstoufmlle arts and culture committee was formed as a town committee at the beginning of 2003 during a february 2004 capital budget meeting 15 million was earmarked for the old town hall in 2006 750000 from the towns hydro reserves and the rest from grants and other fundraising the old town hall needs about 1 mil lion in exterior and structural ren ovations before it can be devel oped into a cultural arts centre the first fundraiser for the pror posed centre the motus o gala was held in april at the markham theatre where a silent auction raised 1300 half the money went to motus o a stouffville- based professional dance troupe and the rest to the culture art and heritage committee for wwtchurchstouffville the committee an initiative by concerned residents was regis tered at that time as a nonprofit association enabling it to receive donations mrs mandich spoke on behalf of the towns arts and culture com mittee in may making a pitch for a theatre in the old town hall to the approval of more than 45 resi dents in the whitchurch- stouffville council chambers council decided to have a new committee separate from the whitchurchstouffville arts and culture committee come up with a plan for the old town hall including a permanent arts cen tre within 30 days however council appeared to kill the idea during its june 15 meeting only those intrepid few who stayed in the council chambers until midnight witnessed a rever sal of that decision councillors then made the decision to hire a consultant to investigate if a 350seat theatre for live theatre dance productions films music performances and lectures is possible councillors decided unani mously at a sept 7 meeting to hire ventin at a cost of 27000 to go ahead with the concept and busi ness plan for a theatre in the old town hall ventin was chosen over two other bidders for real beef lovers 7 tl the new bit steak burger 2004 burgor king corporation utod undor licenso