Messages
March 6th 2014 - Message from Allan
Today marks the 75th anniversary of the opening of the LaSalle Theatre.
We have many goals but our most significant goal is to see the LaSalle Theatre used as a performing arts venue by residents of Kirkland Lake and area. When the theatre first opened its doors in 1939 the original owners declared that the theatre would be made available to any group needing a performance space. Everything old is new again and now, 75 years later, we are endeavouring to fulfill the vision of the original owners.
We have been fortunate to run our first live production in the lobby of the theatre: Scrooge starring Michael Rawley and Shane McClurg. This was the first of what will be many live productions by professionals.
We were also thrilled to host Mellow Lily's (aka Katherine Nemcsok) performance during the 2014 Winter Carnival. This was the first of what will be many concerts by Kirkland Lake and area performing artists.
We also hope to bring movies back to the LaSalle. We are challenged by the need for new digital projectors (at an estimated cost of $100,000 dollars) as 35mm film is phased out - but we hope with the support of the community (and perhaps some government funding) we will be able to present first run movies again in the near future. Our current tasks are to finish the structural repairs to the theatre, undertake some cosmetic repair inside the auditorium and install the seats in the auditorium which have been generously donated by Northern College.
The 75th year of the LaSalle Theatre will be one to remember as we work towards breathing life into Kirkland Lake's Art Deco jem.
July 18th - Message from Michael
Hello everyone!
Allan and I have recovered from all the hard work and excitement of
Homecoming Week. What a high to see so many people come out for the
marquee lighting and, what was even more exciting, was that just about
everyone who came to celebrate Pop N Popcorn Night also took a tour of
the theatre.
We had some amazing tour guides and fantastic volunteers helping make
and distribute popcorn, corral the crowds, collect donations, run the
store and be general goodwill ambassadors for the theatre.
As we mentioned at the volunteer update meeting before Homecoming Week,
the pressing issues in repairing the theatre are the much less showy
things – like the parapets, the back wall, the heating etc.
One of the things we were really keen on doing in mid-July was to host
Community Cleanup and get as many volunteers into the theatre with
brooms, dustpans, buckets, mops, ladders and scrapers and start the
enormous job of cleaning the dust, dirt and grime off of the theatre
itself.
However, one of the very necessary but not visible jobs is just about to
commence just this week – the repairing of the degraded bricks holding
up the parapets. What this has done is make the theatre a construction
site once again – much like when the marquee was being repaired. What
this also means is that anyone going in and out of the building will
have to wear hard hats and steel-toed boots. So, Allan and I decided
that, based on the work being done, it wouldn’t be the best time to
proceed with the Community Cleanup.
We still intend to have Community Cleanup but, at this point, we can’t
project when that might be because on July 29, our architect, John Paul
Boisvert, is returning to Kirkland Lake with several consultants to
investigate what needs to be done to the back wall to make it secure and
safe. That is something that needs to be determined before we can make
concrete plans for more events and announcements.
The response so far has been and remains overwhelming from our
volunteers, the people of Kirkland Lake and everyone we have been
fortunate enough to meet so far on this amazing journey.
So, stay tuned for more updates after July 29 and some announcements
about upcoming events sometime in August.
Homecoming 2013 - Wednesday June 26th
As part of this year's Homecoming Events, on Wednesday June 26th the
"Savethelasalle Group" will be hosting "Pop N Popcorn" Night in front of
the LaSalle Theatre - and inside the restored 'mirror foyer'.
The public is invited to attend the event from 7:00 p.m to 10:00 p.m.
During this time volunteers with 'Savethelasalle' we will be serving
free
popcorn and pop to the public. There will be several
displays in place
detailing the history of the LaSalle Theatre - including a large screen
TV
presentation of the first movie ever to play at the LaSalle on the day
it
opened - March 6, 1939. The LaSalle storefront will be also
be open for
the duration of the evening for the sale of LaSalle fundraising
souvenirs
(T - Shirts; Caps; Mugs; Button; Photos). There will also be
guided
historic tours inside the Theatre for small groups - in exchange for
donations to the LasSalle renovation fund. Hard hats will be
provided :)
At 8:00 p.m. Mayor Enouy will be present to "pull the switch" to light
up
the newly restored marquee. Allan Powell and Michael Rawley - the
founders of the 'savethelasalle group' will also be on hand to meet and
greet the friends and supporters of the restoration of "Your" LaSalle.
For the balance of the week (June 27 up to and including July 1) the
LaSalle store front will be open for the sale of souvenirs and for the
receipt of donations and pledges from 9:00 a.m. To 9:00 p.m.
Historic
theatre tours will also be conducted on an hourly basis throughout each
day.
June 6th - Message From Allan
Early in May we succesfully incorporated our non-profit corporation:
SaveTheLasalle
Our objectives for SavetheLasalle are set out in our corporate charter:
"1. To acquire, own, operate, maintain and administer the Lasalle
Theatre located at 98 Government Rd. West, Kirkland Lake, Ontario, for
the benefit of the community of Kirkland Lake and surrounding
communities;
2. To use the LaSalle Theatre and other venues for, and to
produce, cinema, performing arts, music and theatrical shows,
performances and festivals for the benefit of Kirkland Lake and
surrounding communities; to educate and advance the public's
understanding and appreciation of cinema, performing arts, music and
theatre; and, to educate artists through participation in such
productions and festivals and related workshops."
AND THE BEST NEWS OF ALL:
On May 22, 2013 SaveTheLasalle became the official owner of the LaSalle
Theatre.
On May 27th Allan Powell attended a meeting of Kirkland Lake's Club
Richelieu and received a very warm welcome. Allan spoke about the
history of the LaSalle and about our objectives and hopes for the
future. We are hopeful this wonderful group of entrepeneurs will
be able to assist in our future fundraising efforts.
On Tuesday May 28th we had a crew on the roof constructing a brand new
roof membrane - and so hopefully the leaks have now been contained and
we can move ahead with our goal to restore the theatre.
Throughout the week May 27th our onsite supervisor, Richard Renaud, has
been working on the restoration of the mirror foyer. We have
selected an appropriate Art Deco colour - and this work should be done
for Home Coming.
On June 6th work began on the restoration of the marquee. Crema
Enterprises have agreed to undertake the bulk of this work for a very
generous discount in their usual fees in order to assist us to have the
marquee ready for Homecoming. And "Rent All Kirkland Lake" has
also been very generous with a significant price reduction in the rental
of their 'lift' machines so that the Crema group can reach those hard to
reach places on our Art Deco marquee. These 2 local businesses are
really showing us the generosity of Kirkland Lake.
You will soon see a marquee that looks like new - with colours straight
out of the Art Deco / Moderne colour catalogue!! And with FLASHING
LIGHTS!!!
And so - onward to Homecoming. Our Pop N Popcorn night will take
place on June 26th. Read all about it under our Homecoming Tab.
May 3rd - Message from Michael
This is the first of my soon to be many announcements.
The Volunteer meeting held on April 27 was amazing and very well
attended. Everyone was excited and enthusiastic. A lot of ground was
covered and most of this announcement will be a reiteration of what was
said at the meeting.
First off, we have been humbled, overwhelmed, touched and outright
stunned at the amazing response of the entire town. And continue to be
all of those things. We are also thrilled at all the wonderful things
that will happen in Kirkland Lake and at "Your" LaSalle in the near
future. However, as mentioned repeatedly at the meeting, we
will be moving slowly and this is due to things beyond our control. We,
first off, have to take possession of the theatre, which - if everything
goes as it should - will happen on Wednesday May 22, 2013.
After that, we have insurance to sort out to determine who can safely
access the building during its initial renovation stages.
Based on the emails you have sent to our volunteer page - and based on
the forms we have received by mail - we are compiling our lists of
workers. You will be contacted about tasks and availability in
early June.
We have non-profit and charitable status to acquire and that is a slow
process and, lastly, we have to wait until the archived blueprints are
restored so we can get copies of them sent to us and then to our
architect, hometown boy John Paul Boisvert. After spending some time
becoming familiar with the blueprints, John will then come to KL to
measure every inch of the theatre and, from there, he will make a report
and recommendations and, only then, will we know what we will need to do
in order to restore this remarkable theatre to her 1939 opening day
glory.
But restore it we will. And reopen it. To movies, live theatre, music
and many more exciting events to let you all know that Your Lasalle is
already back to being a living breathing building with the essential
component that makes any theatre special – the people in it.
The first BIG announcement we would like to make is: A
movie will be shot in Your LaSalle and in other locations in Kirkland
Lake starting very soon after we take possession of the theatre and
throughout the summer of 2013.
Any of our volunteers who would like to be a part of this fantastic
event are welcome – plus anyone from the community at large. We will
need volunteer actors, extras for crowd scenes as well as grips,
Production Assistants and many other jobs that make a movie run more
smoothly. So, if you have ever had the urge or desire to be a part of a
movie – or even have a part IN a movie or wanted to be ON SET, let us
know your interest and we will put you on our MOVIE VOLUNTEER LIST
(which we will set up in the near future) and contact you when we get
our shoot dates finalized. Let’s just say our first shoot date is within
the week of taking possession of the theatre so let the excitement
begin. Not only will Your LaSalle SHOW movies, it will facilitate MAKING
movies as well.
That is all for now except to add that a new roof will be the first
major restorative change made to Your LaSalle. This will take place as
soon after possession as the company can get started. We hope to have
the new roof finished by mid-June at the latest.
And our fundraising campaign starts today - May 3 at noon as well. Click
on Fundraising for more information and give generously.
Oh and – about the bolts. Allan and I have an idea about those. We will
let you all know our solution to that very soon. Stay tuned.
Talk to you all soon.
Michael Rawley