Moose Jaw
CONEXUS Visual
Arts Centre-MaE
Wilson Theatre
217
Main St. N. Phone 306-693-4700
About the Project
Components of the New Moose Jaw Cultural Centre
The last of the stately Golden Age of
Cinema theatres operational on the prairie the former
Capitol Theatre joins with its neighbouring buildings to
provide Moose Jaw and area with a first-class arts
facility, a tribute to the foresight of the civic leaders,
the hard work of numerous volunteers and the generous
support of the community.
CONEXUS Arts Centre Main level:
IMC Potash Gallery. administration offices, board room,
wood workshop. north wing of stage, elevator. loading
dock, properties storage room, tech. supplies room,
emergency exit. Upper level:
Studios, pottery area, artist in-residence room, Festival
of Words office, Upper level bar area. Lower level:
Dressing rooms, green room. wardrobe, storage room,
mechanical.
Mae Wilson
Theatre Main level: Foyer, Box Office, Beth Wigmore Heritage Display,
Wall of Recognition, main auditorium, orchestra pit,
stage. Upper level: Technical booth. Lower Level:
Rehearsal room, storage
areas.
McCaig Family Wing Main level: Coat check room, bar, south wing of stage, emergency
exit. Upper level: Switch room, mechanical area, film-editing room. Lower
Level:
Two activity rooms.
The Moose Jaw Cultural
Centre provides a connection between artists of several
specialties and the public to entertain, provoke innovation,
encourage commerce, and enhance the quality of life of people
within and beyond the community. In 1982, Moose Jaw's Capitol
Theatre was subdivided into a 652-seat triplex from its original
capacity of 910. Over the years, it had seen its share of
renovations and changes but none of which did anything to
improve its overall condition. By the end of the century, as the
building continued to decline, the owners of the Capitol began
negotiating for land on which to erect a new six-screen
multiplex, and put the Capitol up for sale. Local heritage buffs
began to worry about the Cap's future.
The mid 1990’s brought resurgence
and an awakening to the City of Moose Jaw, as tourism became a
large part of the City’s economy and there was an identified gap
in the City’s cultural community. It was recognized that little
was being done to ‘keep up’ one of the feature Main Street
structures, the Capitol Theatre. A coalition of arts groups
called Arts in Motion (AIM) had already been lobbying the local
elected officials for a downtown cultural centre when the
Capitol Theatre became available on the market. Assessments of
the building were arranged and financial resources assembled so
an offer could be placed on the Capitol by the end of 1999. This
original offer on the Capitol expired as negotiations between
the City and the owners of the land for a new multiplex bogged
down.
The City of Moose Jaw
through the lobbying effort of AIM established a feasibility
study on the cultural centre project. Completed in 2000, the
feasibility study recommended incorporating two adjacent
heritage buildings in the city's downtown for the new cultural
facility. The former Army and Navy Department Store, built in
1918 and left empty when the company phased out all its
Saskatchewan stores beginning in 1999, would provide the base
for the visual arts facility. The feasibility study determined
that this building could accommodate the required art spaces,
support services for the performing arts centre, and the
majority of public and administrative spaces needed. The Capitol
Theatre - if it became available - would enjoy new life as a
performing arts and retro-cinema Theatre. The study recommended
working with a historical consultant to restore the interior to
its original 1913 state complete with emblazoned cherubs,
plaster ceiling, mirrored pillars and marble stairways. Arts In
Motion used some of its funds to purchase the Army and Navy
building, and hoped a second opportunity for the Capitol would
come around.
In the Spring of 2001, a new
modern multiplex Theatre opened in Moose Jaw, offering stiff
competition to the owners of the Capitol Theatre. The Capitol
Theatre was sold to AIM and in the fall of 2001, AIM donated
both properties to the City, which then took over ownership of
the project and all that it entails.
Thanks to their long history
within the community, these two brick buildings have been
designated Municipal Heritage Properties. A solid, two-storey,
red brick structure, the Army and Navy building was completed in
1918 as the offices and stores for the Merchants' Bank of
Canada. In the 1940's, it was converted to a department store
and remained in service until 1999.
The task of assembling the
dollars needed to complete the project was turned over to the
Moose Jaw Cultural Centre Builders Inc., a non-profit
corporation of volunteers formed in April 2001 for the purpose
of raising the remaining funds required. The necessary funds
were raised in time for construction to start in 2002, and the
facility opened to
coincide with the City's centennial celebrations in 2003.
Those involved envision the
cultural centre as part of a renaissance of the city's downtown
that began in 1996 with the construction of Temple Gardens
Mineral Spa. The new cultural centre will contribute enormously
to enhancing the downtown's infrastructure, and will complement
the Spa and the new Casino Moose Jaw, as well as
other nearby attractions like The Tunnels of Moose Jaw (a theme
development based on Moose Jaw's notorious gangster past), the
River Street Restoration project, and a new Tourist Information
Centre. There's no question, Moose Jaw's Cultural Centre is right in step with the times.
Moose Jaw
CONEXUS Visual
Arts Centre-Mae
Wilson Theatre- 217
Main St. N. Phone 306-693-4700
