A new grassroots group in NDG is renewing the fight to save the neighbourhood’s Empress Theatre. The group, Renaissance Empress, will hold a public meeting on Monday, Sept. 13 at the KoSA Arts Centre (5325 Crowley) to try to renew dialogue about the theatre’s future.
Once a famed vaudeville house, later home to Cinema V, the building has been largely unused since a 1992 fire. Today, the Empress’ future is uncertain. Of late, speculation has renewed that the city may expropriate the building to build luxury condos. In response, Renaissance Empress has been circulating a petition.
“We want to say this really does matter, and there’s a lot of people in the community that really do care,” says spokesperson Paul Scriver. He estimates that 80 per cent of NDGers want the Empress restored as a community cultural space. The group disagrees with borough Mayor Michael Applebaum’s warning the Empress could become a “white elephant.” So they’ve adopted a mascot, Ellie the Empress Elephant. The papier mâché pachyderm got a rainbow coat of paint from kids at recent local arts fair, and Renaissance Empress says her colourful appearance stands for what the Empress could become.
The meeting starts at 7 p.m. Ellie will be in attendance.
—ELISABETH FAURE
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