Barrie City Council Approves Lifeline $68,000 Loan to Theatre by the Bay Amid Its Financial Woes

On Tuesday, Barrie City Council approved a crucial loan to assist Theatre by the Bay in covering its $68,000 deficit. This financial aid will be structured as an interest-free loan, repaid in annual $15,000 installments from the city's arts and culture grant budget.

During the Finance and Responsible Governance Committee meeting, Iain Moggach, the artistic director of Theatre by the Bay, expressed the theater's precarious financial state, exacerbated by the pandemic. He emphasized the critical need for this financial intervention, stating, a combination of pandemic-related factors led to Theater by the Bank carrying a deficit after a deficit reduction plan was created in 2022. We reduced that deficit by a third in 2023, and acted aggressively to eliminate it before 2025.

Moggach also highlighted the implications of the deficit on future funding opportunities: 2025 is important as it marks the next time the theater can apply for operating funding from the Canada Council for the Arts, which if unsuccessful, means the next opportunity would be 2028.

The council's approval of the loan plan, which still requires further confirmation from the general committee and city council, came despite concerns about setting a financial precedent. Some council members expressed worry about potentially establishing a norm for future financial rescues for other arts groups.

Mayor Alex Nuttall also commented on the matter, reinforcing the need for careful consideration in such financial decisions. He highlighted the need to ensure that the funds allocated for the deficit do not result in another deficit come the end of '24, emphasizing the importance of strategic financial planning.

This funding approach aims to secure the theater's immediate financial needs while ensuring its eligibility for future arts funding, critical for its ongoing contributions to the cultural fabric of Barrie.