Toronto Star

After nearly four decades drawing in Toronto theatre audiences, the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts is undergoing a $3 million facelift. The centre, conceived as one of Canada's Centennial projects, opened in 1970. It is home to seven resident companies - including the Canadian Stage Company - and is used by more than 50 other arts and community organizations annually. But not much has changed at the Centre over the years, so the management board decided a "long overdue renovation" of the exterior and interiors was in order, said chairwoman Susan Crocker. "The Centre has good bones ... (but) there's sort of universal agreement that it is tired. It's time - let's doll this place up." The project will be funded 50-50 by the Centre, which places a surcharge for capital improvements on tickets, and the City of Toronto as part of its 16-month "Live With Culture" campaign.