Can Ottawa Afford to Lose One of Its Performance Spaces?

The stage in the Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre.

Sitting in Britannia Park, the Ron Kolbus-Lakeside Centre has remained virtually unchanged since the 1950s. No surprise then, that Bay Ward Councillor Mark Taylor has put forward a proposal to invest $1 million to redevelop the space into a more viable community centre. One hitch for Lakeside Players, and other independent theatre groups — the plan effectively removes the stage and performance space from the centre.