By Roy Wood

Subject: Osoyoos Community Theatre

School board chair Marieze Tarr said in an interview that nothing will happen regarding school facilities until the school closure bylaw passes third and final reading on April 27.

Once that happens, she said, the board will begin looking into such issues. “The first will be the user groups,” she said.

As for the theatre’s ownership status, Tarr said the board will have to look into the documents.

If it turns out to be a community theatre, “There will have to be some conversations,” she said. “I frankly don’t know anything about this information.”

Earlier:

Andrew Stuckey
Osoyoos Daily News

An indirect consequence of a recent decision to close Osoyoos Secondary School will be the subject of a today at the Osoyoos Art Centre.

Spencer Chandra Herbert, the provincial Opposition Critic for Arts, Culture, Tourism, Film and TV, will be joining Osoyoos & District Arts Council members to discuss the possible loss of use of the Community Theatre adjacent to the school.

The community learned April 6 the Okanagan Similkameen School District plans to close the secondary school at the end of June. Trustees, at a meeting held in the theatre, voted 4-3 to close the school and move students to South Okanagan Secondary School in Oliver.

“I will be there to outline the important contribution in funding that the people of the Town of Osoyoos and Rural Area A made in 1977 towards the completion of the building of the Theatre,” said Sue Whitaker, the gallery’s curator.

“Although the current Chair of our local School Board, Ms. Tarr, would like to ignore that very significant contribution — approximately two-thirds of the entire cost — there are those of us who know the history of the construction problems and are ready to defend our right to continue to use the Community Theatre.” said Whittaker.