The City of Ottawa is cancelling all shows, plays and productions at the Meridian Theatres at Centrepointe until the end of the year due to the damage caused by heavy rain on Canada Day. More than 100 mm of rain was reported in Ottawa’s west end on July 1 as a series of storms moved through the national capital region. The storm flooded roads and more than 6,000 basements. City staff say water infiltration into the building caused “considerable damage” to the Meridian Theatres at Centrepointe, including to the main theatre stage, the orchestra pit and front rows of seating, the studio theatre, orchestra, the lower studio and lobby, flooring and a grand piano. “Due to the specialized nature of the theatre spaces and equipment, damage assessment is taking some time to complete and is ongoing,” Dan Chenier, general manager of the Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services department, said in a memo to council. “A timeline for development of a restoration plan and its completion has not yet been determined.” Chenier says staff are reaching out to clients to cancel all shows, events and rentals through the end of the year and clients will be provided with “refunds and assistance in identifying alternative venues.” All ticketholders will be offered refunds. “The status of booked performances scheduled after (the end of the year) will be reassessed in the fall as restoration planning progresses,” Chenier said. “We recognize that this temporary closure is disappointing for patrons, staff, artists, and supporters. Meridian Theatres at Centrepointe is an important cultural facility that contributes to the City of Ottawa’s arts sector, and staff are working to restore operations as quickly as possible.” Some of the shows that will be cancelled include Come From Away by Maple Leaf Theatre Productions, the Chinese National Symphony Orchestra, Grease Live by the Beaches International Jazz Festival, Frozen by Orpheus Musical Theatre, the Nutcracker by Ballet Jörgen, and O Christmas Tea: A British Comedy. In a statement posted to Facebook, Orpheus Musical Theatre said their planned production of Frozen will be postponed until further notice as a result of the theatre’s closure. “This closure has widespread impacts, not only on Orpheus, but on the many local arts organizations that provide theatre and charitable programming to thousands of volunteers and audience members every year,” Orpheus Musical Theatre wrote. “Our hearts go out to our fellow theatre companies, as well as the staff and volunteers of Meridian Theatres at Centrepointe, as they continue to weather this storm.” Orpheus Musical Theatre says they are exploring alternative options for the production, but in the meantime, ticket holders will be contacted by the Meridian Theatres for refunds. The Meridian Theatres at Centrepointe is part of Ben Franklin Place. On Thursday, the Nepean Centrepointe library branch reopened after being flooded by the heavy rainfall. The first and second floors of the library are open, but the lower level will remain closed until November for restoration work.
