A Stage, A Century, A Community
When Arts Hub Brockville submitted its application to restore its stage to The Next Great Save (a national funding program supported by the National Trust for Canada & Ecclesiastical Insurance) we understood only 12 projects across Canada would ultimately be selected to compete for funding. This made the wait for news more than a little nail-biting.
Then the email arrived.
Our “Save the Stage” project had been chosen!
As of April 7, at 1 p.m. EST until April 24, Arts Hub Brockville is officially in friendly competition with 11 other heritage sites across the country for the top prize of $50,000. This funding would allow Arts Hub Brockville to restore and showcase the stage’s original 1900 oak paneling, a beautiful piece of Brockville’s cultural history currently hidden from view.
Former stage
Why a stage matters…
By the 1500s, the word stage had come to describe the platform where performers stand to be seen and heard. The word traces back to the Latin “stare”, meaning to stand, then evolving through the Old French étage, meaning a level of a building, and into Middle English where it was a raised platform or scaffold.
Early performances took place on simple wooden platforms in town squares, inns, and gathering places. Yet even then, a stage was never just wood and nails. It was where stories were told, ideas shared, and communities brought together.
At Arts Hub Brockville, the stage continues that tradition with programming that occurs more than 300 days each year. It is where writers, musicians, actors, speakers, students, and audiences connect. It is where creativity finds its voice and where community gathers to listen.
But hidden behind a later stage extension lies the original oak skirt from 1900. It is rich in warmth, craftsmanship, and character. Restoring this feature is not simply about repairing a structure. It is about revealing history, honouring the artisans who built it, and creating an inspiring setting for future performances, presentations, and cultural events.
Your vote can help bring history back into the spotlight!
Winning this competition would allow Arts Hub Brockville to uncover and restore the historic oak paneling, reconnecting today’s audiences with more than a century of shared cultural experience.
A stage is never just a stage.
It is where voices are heard, stories are told, and community stands together.
Please vote daily for Arts Hub Brockville in The Next Great Save and help bring new life to a cherished community landmark.
Together, we can ensure the next generation stands on a stage that honours the past while inspiring the future.
Vote daily from April 7-24
Written by Katherine Hobbs