Ontario to spend $35M to help rebuild Shaw Festival's Royal George Theatre

Liam Casey · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Apr 02, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Ontario volition walk $35 cardinal to assistance the Shaw Festival rebuild the Royal George Theatre.

Tourism Minister Stan Cho says the backing volition beryllium utilized to physique a larger, much modern theatre arsenic the state looks to beef up the system successful Niagara-on-the-Lake and the surrounding region.

The state says the theatre's operation volition make 550 jobs and erstwhile built, the venue volition person 20 per cent much seating arsenic good arsenic caller rehearsal and enactment spaces.

The Royal George Theatre volition adjacent permanently aboriginal this twelvemonth and the rebuild is expected to beryllium completed successful 2029.

Cho hopes the bigger venue volition assistance thrust much tourists to the country and support them determination longer.

Cho has expansive visions to crook the Niagara portion into "Las Vegas of the north" with an planetary airport, much hotels, mass transit enlargement and a caller amusement park.

In a quality release, helium said the "Shaw Festival is simply a taste icon for Ontario and for Canada, and is conscionable 1 of the galore large reasons to sojourn Niagara-on-the-Lake and the broader Niagara Region passim the year." 

In past April's budget, the national authorities announced $15 cardinal successful funding for the 2024-2025 Shaw Festival Theatre season.