Sandra Thomson worked daily alongside the most well-known and respected artists in Nanaimo.
As development director and then general manager of the Port Theatre, Thomson guided the project from fundraising to completion.
Her decades of work on the project were recognized with the Honour in Culture Award from the City of Nanaimo, which celebrates an individual, group or corporation that is known for their dedication and support of the development of the cultural fabric of the community.
Steve Jones, a music teacher at Vancouver Island University and Wellington Secondary School, was recognized with the Excellence in Culture Award.
Their portraits will hang in the Margaret Strongitharm Gallery in the Port Theatre.
“There are individuals you look up to,” Thomson said. “One of them was Margaret Strongitharm.”
Many of the award’s previous recipients – Diana Krall, Ingrid Jensen, David Gogo – are artists that Thomson admired for their contribution to the city’s cultural fabric.
“To be included with people like that, whom I admire so much, is really an honour,” she said.
Thomson, originally from Prince George, worked for a touring company after studying acting at post-secondary school.
Her shows would tour the Island from Courtenay, to Duncan and Victoria.
“We’d look at the map and think, ‘what’s with Nanaimo?’ They didn’t have a theatre,” she said.
In 1990, she left the Vancouver East Cultural Centre and took the job as development director to fundraise for the soon-to-be-called Port Theatre. She moved to Nanaimo and began work in a donated office, with a donated computer and $400 from the Kiwanis Club to raise more than $13 million to build a state-of-the-art theatre in downtown Nanaimo.
“The community was so ready – they’d been talking about it for 25 years,” Thomson said. “My job was to implement the plan.”
She hit the pavement and began conversations with any group with two or more people who met regularly to drum up financial and moral support for the project.
Fundraising took eight years in total, with a boost from the federal-provincial infrastructure program, which provided more than $8 million. The theatre opened its doors in 1998 with a concert by Valdy and Gary Fjellgaard for the workers, followed by a gala opening with the Vancouver Island Symphony and The Nylons, hosted by David Broadfoot.
The Port Theatre was a success from day one with rock shows hitting the stage immediately. Following that were ‘bus and truck shows’ – ballets and Broadway musicals like Grease and Cats.
“Eventually, they come to smaller cities if they have a facility,” Thomson said.
The Port Theatre hosts more than 120,000 audience members and 225 events annually. Thomson and the Port Theatre were recognized with an award for Presenting Organization of the Year in 2003-04 by the Canadian Arts Presenting Association and Presenter of the Year by the B.C. Touring Council in 2005-06.
Thomson would still like to see the full vision of the Port Theatre completed, which includes building a studio space to host smaller events. Construction was close a few years ago, but the federal government chose to fund the cruise ship and airport terminals instead.
“The government didn’t fund any cultural projects in that round,” she said.
But the plans are on file and one day may come to fruition.
The Port Theatre is often referred to as the jewel of the downtown arts district, but Thomson said no one redevelopment is responsible for revitalization. The seawall, heritage restoration, Cameron Island and other projects all contributed to making downtown once again a vibrant place.
“No one project can be the answer,” Thomson said.
Thomson continued to serve as general manager until 2006, when she reduced her role to director of programming as she eased out of management of the theatre in 2010.
Thomson still calls Nanaimo home and works as an independent consultant, helping non-profit societies with their fundraising goals, work that began while she was employed with the Port Theatre. She was also involved in drafting the city’s cultural policy.
She now spends her time travelling, particularly to southern Mexico, where she’s learning Spanish.
Thomson and Jones will be recognized May 4 in a ceremony at the Port Theatre, beginning at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public but RSVP is required by April 26. Please call 250-755-7501.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com