1858

The present Brockville Arts Centre on King Street West is built to serve as a town hall, market place and fire engine house. (Two of the original date stones still exist placed on the outside wall).

1880

The town hall is moved to a new location allowing for the creation of Brockville’s first real theatre called The Opera House.

1911

The building is expanded creating a tall fly tower, spacious dressing rooms and the third largest stage in Canada. The Opera House is renamed New Theatre.

1929

New Theatre closes due to declining revenues. The theatre remains “dark” through much of the so called “dirty thirties”.

1937

Fire destroys the auditorium. Fortunately, the proscenium’s asbestos curtain saves the huge stage, backstage area and fly tower.

1939

The renovated building reopens as a motion-picture theatre called The Regent.

1958

The rising popularity of television forces the closure of The Regent.
(Today, the Brockville Arts Centre still offers movie screenings thanks to our new digital projector.)

1960

The building reopens as Brockville’s Civic Auditorium offering a venue for local theatre groups and professional touring companies.

1975

The Civic Auditorium is renovated including an expansion to accommodate a lobby art gallery and box office.

1981

The rear of the building is expanded for rehearsal space, set construction, prop and wardrobe storage. This space is rented to the Brockville Operatic Society and Brockville Theatre Guild for both for storage of their props and sets, and for their rehearsals and workshops.

1990

The building is renamed Brockville Arts Centre.

2009

Project ENCORE! – a community-driven undertaking with the goal of restoring and redecorating the theatre.

2016

A new digital film projector is donated by the estate of Pat Webster to the Brockville Arts Centre to replace the obsolete reel-to-reel film projectors.

2020

The Brockville Arts Centre is closed in March 2020 during the COVID pandemic.

2021

After a year-and-a-half shutdown, the Brockville Arts Centre is finally able to reopen their doors in August 2021 to the excitement of the local community.

For History Lovers Only...

Want to learn more about the Arts Centre and Brockville’s history?
The Brockville Museum hosts an evolving collection of objects and stories representing Brockville’s past and present!

Find out more about the Brockville Museum here.