Dear editor:

I read, with interest, Nicholas Colaneri’s letter in the April 9 edition of The Lake Report, “The question that was never asked of Shaw,” outlining the reason’s why the 1915 historic site, the Royal George Theatre, was approved to be demolished by the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

He states the reason given was “the building was failing, preservation was not viable, demolition was the only option.”

He says the fundamental question that should have been asked and answered — “Could the Royal George have been preserved, modernized and expanded to meet every goal the Shaw Festival identified, within the rules that exist to protect our heritage district, at what cost” — was never asked.

He says, “Industry standard suggests the answer is yes.”

I personally wonder why this lovely building could not be upgraded and renovated to become a dinner theatre. It would be a venue that would allow for a variety of lunch or dinner theatre options, small musical performances with lunch or dinner, comedy nights, jazz/blues, a lot of interesting, intimate offerings for the local residents.

Perhaps it could be a draw for tourists who like a quaint visit to a historical Old Town, maybe a weekend stay at a local B&B or inn, or a romantic getaway mid-week — a year-round sustainable option that is different from the current offerings.

I wonder: who will come to this second location of the big beautiful new Shaw Festival Theatre, year-round, and how much damage three years of construction and loss of visitors will do to our quaint town?

Will we still have our unique, historical town — the destination that is the real draw for our visitors?

Megan Wood
NOTL