Seeking new stages: Dawson City Music Festival put out by Palace Grand renos
Theatre hasn't been renovated since it was rebuilt in the 1960s
The Dawson City Music Festival will be looking for a new indoor space next summer because the Palace Grand theatre, the festival's second largest venue, will be closed for all of 2016.
The theatre hasn't had any major work done since it was rebuilt by Parks Canada in the early 1960s.
This fall, the federal government announced the Palace Grand would undergo $3.8 million dollars worth of renovations.
"There's quite a bit wrong with the building," said Anne Morin, a field superintendent with Parks Canada.
"What's in there currently contains the original heating and ventilation system, the original fire suppression and lighting from that time. So those systems are obsolete and with our investments they're going to be replaced to reflect the new building standards."
Morin says the work includes improvements to the in-house "lighting, stage backdrops, foyer equipment, sound systems, other stage equipment, those types of things as well."
But the Palace Grand is a stage that's hard to replace. The festival's executive director, Emily Farrell, says organizers are working on a plan to find alternate venues.
"Rather than having the Palace Grand where 300 people could go, we might have three or four different venues that could provide for the same number of people," she said.
It's unknown when the renovations will be complete, but Morin says Parks Canada will offer alternative tourist programming next summer.