Capitol Theatre Rally

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• I don't want to seem ignorant but the capitol seems to be a money loosing venture. The capitol board of directors have obviously been failing at attracting good venue's that customers would pay to see. So why should the taxpayer's(myself) be responsible for the mismanagement of a business. Even if the city gave them the $65,000 I've read it would only keep them afloat for a few more month's. Why bother?
  Maybe it's time to clean up the incompetant management or sell it to someone who can operate it with a profit.

• Guido, No problem, I see your point of view but a public theatre is a cultural asset that makes Windsor a better place to live. No doubt there is some SERIOIUS mismanagement going on there. Everyone needs to be fired and they need to start again. Also I agree that the shows they put on, generally don't attract me either. However leave the Spitfires where they are and don't waste my 65 million to build an area on the deep east side. I never go to the east side. We subsidized the Cleary (prior to the recent sale) to the tune of $1 million tax dollars a year, how about the Daimler Chrysler Building? Shit they spent $35k on food for 57 meetings!

  There is so much waste and graft in this city with its funding, it makes my head spin. I would rather my tax dollars went to subsidize the Capitol rather than any think I mentionned above. For the record I haven't been to a show there in probably 5 or 6 years, so It's not like I have a bias to the events put on there.

  Wait until DCX dumps Chrysler and the new owner spikes the Canadian HQ and we have 6 more empty floors a 1 Riverside W.

• I totally agree the arena is a large waste of money. When all is said and done I'm willing to bet that the price tag will not be less than $75 million. This will also be a money loosing operation and guess who is going to be stuck subsidizing it. We can use a nice arena but I don't believe it needs to be as large a scale as they are planning.

• Andrew, I would not only like to echo Guido's sentiments but also point out that - unless I missed something - the Capitol has not organized so much as a pasta supper or bake sale to raise funds in their 11th hour. Their hand is outstretched but aside from chanting slogons and carrying signs, what initiative have they shown to indicate the city investing in their organization is money well spent. Now you brought up other examples of fiscal waste, and I agree wholeheartedly that they are all very good examples of the city pouring money into the gutter, but as the old addage goes, two (or three or four or five) wrongs don't make a right. As far as I'm concerned, most facets of our community need to be more self-supporting, particularly those in the arena of arts, sports, and recreation, while more attention should be focused on things like, say.... basic infrastructure. We've all heard stories about our crappy roads, for example. Recently the city turned down even Brentwood for the paltry sum of a few thousand dollars, and one would think if anyone deserves a helping hand it's them.

  Anyhow, I do agree that the Capitol is a "cultural asset" but as even you pointed out, the shows there have limited appeal. It attracts a certain niche group of people who have an appreciation for this form of art, and there has to be a limit to how much the city should have to spend on something that benefits so few in comparison to other services.

  One thing that would truly upset me is seeing the structure itself fall into the wrong hands. Architecturally, they've done a wonderful job maintaining that building and I'd hate to see it fall into the wrong hands. But then again I love all the old buildings around the city. Maybe I'm in a small percentage too (maybe not here but speaking in-general).

• The need for a new arena is debatable at best, although the biggest fiasco of the whole process is the location. The Mayor claims downtown revitailization is a priority, yet he pulls the arena to the far east side, and stands by as the Capitol teeters on the verge of closing.

  I live very near to downtown, and I would love to be able to go downtown and actually shop for everyday products.

  I spent a week in Windsor's twin city of St. Etienne, France last fall, and I left there very depressed. Although slightly smaller St. Etienne is vastly superior to Windsor in everyway. They even still have streetcars.

• I agree with that, the city needs that new arena like it needs a hole in the head. But be thankful you aren't a Tecumseh ratepayer. Those guys are in for a harder fall on that account than we will be.

  As for downtown, its days as a retail hub are long gone. Walmart killed the fatted calf - that of course being the " Min. 20 percent over MSRP" pricing rule enjoyed. But even though you will have to go to the mall to shop, I don't think downtown is dead or dying. It is still a goldmine of entertainment and dining venues - venues I might add also that are maturing. Not just kiddie bars anymore. For example, how many coffee houses did we have downtown twenty years ago? It was a tossup between the Coffee Exchange and the Second Cup. Now there are a dozen. There are actually places an adult not looking for a one night stand can go and relax for a few hours. Spent some time last night listening to Huladog at the old fish market - which was just a great time in a grand old building. You've got the Palace if you want to go to a show. Lots of great restaurants for a great meal - everything from the ordinary (McDonalds) to the extraordinary (LaGuardia) and lots in-between. And even a little bit of shopping if you can afford to go into Shanfields. ;)

  Dare I say it, but I think the greatest thing our downtown has going against it is all the pessimism by its closest allies. If we want to get people downtown, it needs to be pumped up. Even if it has a few warts we're ashamed of. That will correct itself once some business is infused there. But right now why would anyone who hasn't been downtown in years bother to go after what gets written in many of the local blogs. Don't take this the wrong way Andrew, it's not aimed at you, just a general statement regarding the general comments I see about downtown when subjects such as the Capitol come up.

• Guido, if you've been to any of the City Council meetings, the Capitol has been selling out shows. The trouble has been the bingo funding. I agree with you about the management though. But try to think years ahead instead of months. The city needs a theatre like this. A lot more goes on there than the shows the Capitol advertises. Like Media City, many small plays for children and other events. Including the Windsor Film Festival.

• John, right you are. I guess it comes with living downtown. After a while this city and all the grandiose schemes, can just wear someone down.

  With that being said, other cities manage to keep retail in the core to some extent. while no beating around the bush, we haven't. While yes there are lots of restaurants and bars, there's not much to entertain the average visitor. Over the last five or six year, downtown had not improved, and I think the demolitoin of the Norwich Block had a lot to do with that. That block contained occupied businesses, deli's, coffee shops (you forgot the Tres Beans Cafe), and book stores. It also had restaurants, bars and an arcade. That block while maybe a little seedy, was a great cross section of the downtown. Retail and entertainment all rolled into one. It was a vibrant block, that spread it occupancy into the surrounding area.

  Evicting those tennants and busineses was the begining of the end IMO. Of all the businesses in the block, very few reopened downtown. That left a gaping wound in downtown.

  As much as I love the city, downtown really hold little for average Windsorite.

  The Capitol has serious problems, there's no denying that, however the city cannot affor dto allow it to close. There are enough things that have dissapeared over the years to decrease that make Windsor a livable city.

  The riverfront trail is not the defining be all and end all of what defines a city.

  Eddie Francis is looking like a collosal failure as mayor in his second term so far. Downtown will be a boarded up ghostdown by the time his term is up. I hear rumors he has aspirations to run provincially or federally for the Conservatives. The sooner he bails on us, the better. Too bad Dr. David Wonham ran such an inept campaign, we were left with no viable option. Despte that fact he still drew almost 18% of the vote, a large amount in protest to mayor Eddie.

  While we talk about waste, the amount of cash wasted on being a "partner" with Detroit for the WWF wrestling? $60,000 USD. That's on top of the $250,000 US that we spend to be a Superbowl "partner". $310,000 US spent on what? How did we as residents benefit? I bet that $300k+ would go a long way to keep the Capitol running.

  While we could argue all day about what merits spending tax dollars on, there is no doubt that a lot of money is spent in this city on needless/wasteful things.

  I say keep the Capitol alive, but review all the slaries of the staff that work there. There needs without doubt to be a major overhaul/housecleaing in there.

• Andrew:

  Great photos- it was really good to see you come out yesterday.

  The Capitol has been mismanaged, there have been a lot fo pigs at the trough in the past.

  Overhaul is required, but we absolutely must save this gem..

• As one of the organziers and participants in the rally yesterday to save the Capitol, I would like to add a few insights. I am not an employee of the Capitol, nor were the other 3 organizers of this event, but we all have a strong connection to the theatre, either as performers, theatre directors, patrons or in a tenant capacity.
  The purpose of the rally (which was organized in just 24 hours and saw over 100 supporters turn out on a very cold evening) was to demonstrate how much the Capitol means to the people of this city and to downtown. We had hoped to coincide with the Mayor's Looking Forward: Windsor’s Future in a Changing World event scheduled at the Capitol for the same night. We wanted to accentuate the irony of having an event like this, which was to explore the importance of promoting cutlture in Windsor, at the Capitol, one day before it was to close in part because the city has not made the Capitol one of its priorities. The city got wind of the rally and cancelled the event the night before; the official explanation being that there were not enough tickets sales, which is not true.
  In terms of the type of shows that have been held at the Capitol over the years, i have been to many of them, (as well as performed in three) and I have always thoroughly enjoyed them. Most of the time, there were full houses. I have seen everything from outstanding jazz shows, breathtaking African dancers, incredible local theatre productions (Rocky Horror Picture Show and Beach Blanket Bingo particularly stand out - i may have the show names a bit incorrect so my apologies), comedy acts, vocalists, black history (just saw The Spirit of Harriet Tubman - a one woman show by our own Leslie McCurdy which was absolutely amazing - what a performer!), and so forth.
  I think that the reason that the Capitol may not resonate with some people in Windsor is because they may be more into sporting events, home and outdoor/recreation shows, etc.
  Over $13 million dollars was raised thanks to donations by indivudals and businesses, and governement funding to renovate and repair the Capitol during the 1990s and there was a fabulous gala reopening (which I attended) in April 2001 that had a 1920s theme since that was when the Capitol first opened. If you have ever walked on around the Capitol, you may have noticed the bronze stars imbeded in the sidewalk. 17 of these stars were unvelied during that Gala and commemorate various pillars of the community. Each one was sponsored by an individual or business to the tune of $5000.
  So as you can see, there has been a lot of community support for the Capitol. I agree that more fundraising efforts could be implemented by the Capitol itself. A major fundraiser each year featuring local talent (and we have tons including Juno nominee Daniel Victor of Neverending White Lights) would be a logical undertaking.
  The Capitol has also suffered from mismanagement but has benefited from the hard work of countless volunteers who have been there through thick and thin. One of them just called me today to tell me how great the rally was. He showed up there last night for a while despite nursing a broken leg and several damaged vertebrae in his neck.
  I hope I have shed a little more light on the subject and of course, I hope that the city is taking us seriously. I am still waiting to hear back from the Mayor in response to my open letter which I emailed him on Wednesday and also read on CBC radio yesterday. In this letter I reminded him of several glowing comments he made about downtown and why we love Windsor during his State of the City address in 2006, in the hopes he would recognize the hypocrisy of recent city council actions, or should i say, inaction, re the Capitol, while council has no qualms about supporting costly and unecessary projects ($65 million - and counting - arena, $3.5 million Peace Beacon, $16 million Vista Project, coutless expensive studies, and so on).
  I guess people like me are the reason that city council thinks they need to spend half a million on a new p.r. department, as reported in The Windsor Star today.
  Elaine Weeks