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October 9, 1992 32 pages

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Office, Editorial 985-2131

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NEWS photo Mike Waketleld

THE FIRST of five new ftast-response fireboats arrived in the Port of Vancouver this week. The vessels turned on their pumps as they sailed under the Lions Gate Bridge, producing a plume of spray and even a rainbow. The tireboats, two of which will be based on the North Shore, can travel at up to 32 knots and each contain two fire pumps that have pumping capacities of 1,500 gaflons per minute.

Chronic structural problems, dwindling audiences cited in Presentation House decision

who had a full season planned,

AFTER CLOSING

ifs summer season

weeks ahead of

schedule and losing its theatre director, the Presentation House Cultural Society board has quietly voted io cancel

its 1992-93 season altogether, Presensation Ehouse ad- ministrative director Brigiug O’Roones said that until the board can decide the fate of the theatre at a November planning session, it “ill be run as a rental facility fo Community groups. Untike the much-publicized fi- nancial troubles and — personnel changes at other Vancouverares arts organizations, Presentation House has been surprisingly uaht- lipped about the theaire’s curly closing and the loss of its director. Gordon Harris, chairman of

REACHING EVERY DOOR ON THE N

or

By Evelyn Jacob

News Reporter

Cultural yes, sitled

Presentation House Society's board of dire: in-an interview that chrome struc: tural pieblems with the 333 Ches- terficld Ave. facility were the sma- jor factar in the bourd’s decision io cance! the season. He said the board over whether to chose Vancouver theaire’s

“uaponized”’ the North suntmer

Sa CG ier SUM R AGLO

season early, but that leaks and stifling het conditions inside the loQ-seat theatre deft it no other choice.

Temperatures reaching over 100 1 forced audicnee members to walk out of the summer produc: tion OF Haunted House Hamlet, sand OF Rooney,

the walkout resulted in a “substamtiah loss at the box of- free -~ about $20,000, accardiiy to former direstor Michael beta.

Others in the theatre communi- ty, however, put that figure at closer to SS 000,

Harris bhimed the on the S8-year-old building's structural problems and suid thes were

foss

eee

sion to resign.

“To ¢his resignaden) was ime- Iv’ said Plarris. "We were ob- siously having trouble filling seats. and it) rafsed questions about whether we could continue running the theatre.

“Michael anet with us and the decision was that ne would resign. foo be far ta bam te was very dite ficult to carers direstar beeuuse Ghoalb the problerns with

Oy ats

the Purlding. 7” ife denied

(1) fester

Por wats forced thar Vs

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Prat and tauted entation House Theatre fesurected. but only Uae sew cility Gould be secured. Pera, wha was appointed theatre director in the spring and

OR

said he owas not pressured ro resign. that the decision was a mutual one between hint and the board.

“We felt it was time to part our ways, They (the board) decided they didn’t want me to run the theatre, and [ wasn’t happy there. My year was up. and we decided Hot fe renew the contracn”

He declined fo say avhe fe wis unhappy.

But the News has learned tram at least one board menther thar bera didn't Miah chowe an the patter.

Board Strichan

hase

member Rivhard revealed | that the board See NV theatre pave §