Arts and cultural groups are scrambling to find new venues after being told that a hip evangelical church has bought The Centre for the Performing Arts in downtown Vancouver and plans to take over the 1,800-seat theatre this summer.
Directors of the Vancouver International Film Festival, Goh Ballet and Unique Lives lecture series confirmed they were told last week by the centre’s management that the venue will not be available after the Westside Church takes over ownership in August.
…Diane Heal, the centre’s vice-president of operations, said the centre was for sale but referred all questions to Michael Law of Global Pacific Properties in Denver, Colo., an affiliate of Four Brothers Entertainment, which owns the centre.
Law did not return phone calls or respond to emails from The Vancouver Sun.
According to a March 27 blog on the website of the Westside Church, Pastor Norm Funk said he was “officially” and “publicly” announcing that a purchase sales agreement had been secured with the owners of the centre.
