ARTS/ ENTERTAINMENT – Shovels officially in the ground for arts centre

Shovels hit the dirt today to get construction of Kamloops’ new performing arts theatre officially underway.

The digging consisted of a couple of tosses of soil that had been exposed by a backhoe in the former Kamloops Daily News parking lot between Seymour Street and St. Paul Street — it was strictly ceremonial; the real work will begin soon and continue for almost four years.

Almost 200 people were there to listen to a few speeches and watch community leaders and City staff grab their gold-painted shovels to plant them in the mound of dirt.

Brenda Aynsley, chair of the Kamloops Centre for the Arts Society, told the crowd the day was the culmination of “decades of community vision and support.”

A new performing arts theatre has been on the books for more than 20 years. The current cost estimate is $211 million.

Build Kamloops Committee chair Kelly Hall and this month’s deputy mayor Katie Neustaeter also spoke.