NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ON, Sept. 10, 2026 /CNW/ -- Cultural spaces and infrastructure fill our communities with vibrance and vision. For many communities, these facilities have been performing and playing their role for decades, meaning they are in increasingly urgent need of modernization to continue to fulfill our cultural needs in the 21st century.
At more than 100 years old, the Royal George Theatre had exceeded its life expectancy by decades, forcing the beloved facility to close in 2025. Thanks in part to a substantial investment from the federal government, the theatre will be rebuilt from the ground up.
Today, Chris Bittle, Member of Parliament for St. Catharines, announced a federal investment of up to $25 million through the Direct Delivery stream of the Build Communities Strong Fund to support reconstructing the Royal George Theatre.
The Royal George is one of three primary theatres that are home to Shaw Festival (The Shaw) and a regional anchor for tourism and the performing arts. Rebuilding this iconic facility will create 850 jobs and increase economic activity in the region by an expected $80 million annually.
Workers have already begun preparing the site. The rebuilt Royal George will be the first performing arts space in North America to be fully accessible. The facility will have improved acoustics, public viewing spaces, geothermal heating and cooling, a photovoltaic roof system, a high-performance building envelope, and it will be constructed with low-carbon materials, such as mass timber.
Programs hosted at the completed facility will benefit high school students across the region, seniors, medical practitioners, teachers, and anyone interested in developing their own creativity. Sustainable, accessible, and inclusive, the new and expanded Royal George Theatre will be a contemporary arts institution with a façade and design elements that honour the building's history and legacy.
The Royal George Theatre is owned and operated by The Shaw. As one of Canada's two largest charitable theatre companies, The Shaw attracts about 350,000 people annually to its live theatre productions. It is one of the largest employers in Niagara Region and generates nearly $300 million in economic activity every year.
The Build Communities Strong Fund is investing $51 billion in a wide range of infrastructure projects across the country that support economic prosperity, housing, sport, education, health, transit, and climate adaptation. This funding is a cornerstone of the Government of Canada's plan to invest in the infrastructure needed to build Canada strong – today and for generations to come.
Quotes
"The Royal George Theatre is an important part of Niagara-on-the-Lake and a place where generations of Canadians and visitors from around the world have come together to enjoy great performances. This investment will help ensure this cherished theatre can continue to entertain and inspire audiences for years to come. I'm proud that the federal government is helping preserve a cultural institution that means so much to our community."
Chris Bittle, Member of Parliament for St. Catharines
"Strong communities are created when they are able to bring people together. We are deeply grateful to the Government of Canada for recognizing the essential role the arts play in strengthening such communities and deepening real, human connection. This extraordinary investment through the Build Communities Strong Fund will help create a new Royal George Theatre that honours the site's wonderful and varied history while setting a new standard for accessibility and environment sustainability. More than a theatre, the new Royal George will be a place where communities come together to connect, engage and be inspired."
Tim Jennings, Executive Director/CEO, Shaw Festival
Quick Facts
- The full rebuild of the Royal George Theatre is expected to cost about $90 million. The federal government is investing up to $25 million in this project through the Direct Delivery stream of the Build Communities Strong Fund. The Government of Ontario has committed $35 million and the remaining funding will be provided by donors and supporters of the Shaw Festival.
- Starting in 2026-27, the Build Communities Strong Fund will deliver funding through three major streams:
- A Provincial and Territorial stream, which provides $17.2 billion over 10 years, including $5 billion in health infrastructure funding over three years;
- A Direct Delivery stream, which provides $6 billion over 10 years; and,
- A Community stream (formerly the Canada Community-Building Fund), which provides $27.8 billion over 10 years and, indexed at 2% to deliver $3 billion per year ongoing.
- The Buy Canadian Policy is an important part of the Build Communities Strong Fund. It will help ensure that more of every public dollar goes right into the Canadian economy – creating Canadian careers, using Canadian resources, and benefiting Canadian communities.
- The Build Communities Strong Fund will be a force multiplier in infrastructure – with funding that will be matched by nearly $17 billion from provinces, and additional billions leveraged through municipal and territorial partnerships as well as private capital. The fund will also boost Canada's GDP by $95 billion over the next decade.
- Under the Direct Delivery stream, at least 10% of the funding will go towards investments in Indigenous communities.
- Eligible project proponents under the Direct Delivery stream can find more information on how to send their initial expression of interest for shovel-ready projects on the Build Communities Strong Fund webpage.
- Federal funding is conditional on fulfilling requirements, including those related to consultation with Indigenous peoples and environmental assessment obligations, if applicable.
Associated Links
- Build Communities Strong Fund
- Prime Minister Carney launches the Build Communities Strong Fund and announces the first tranche of projects
- Prime Minister Carney shares Budget 2025 plan to build communities strong
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Web: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
SOURCE Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact: Arianna Durgerian, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, [email protected]; Media Relations, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]; Shaw Festival, Cathy Cowan, Marketing Communications Advisor, [email protected]
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