Re: “McPherson tough on city taxpayers: report,” Dec. 3.
Some facts to consider, which the Royal and McPherson Theatres Society made available and the Times Colonist ignored:
An independent consultant specializing in strategic planning for historical theatre recently referred to the society as one of the best-run theatre operations in North America.
Coun. Geoff Young’s selective use of statistics is problematic and needs to be corrected. For instance, his use of 25,000 attendees is deliberately low. Actual attendance in 2014 was closer to 39,000. Many groups that rent the theatre (private events, corporate events, community organizations) will give tickets to their attendees, and these do not form a part of his figure. Our annual report, publicly available on our website (rmts.bc.ca) contains many of these facts.
Young’s fundamental premise, that Victoria can somehow save money by taking over operations of the McPherson, is simply untrue. There are significant economies of scale that Victoria taxpayers benefit from due to the society operating both the Royal and McPherson theatres, as well as the box office.
The contributions from Victoria to the operation of the McPherson have remained unchanged since 2000, meaning that in real dollars, based on inflation over a 15-year period, the actual contribution by Victoria has declined by over 30 per cent.
The society board is actively working to address issues of equitable regional funding, while still supporting non-profit arts organizations, increasing the number and range of performances, and contributing to the culture and quality of life in the region ourselves.
Victorians deserve good theatre and good entertainment. They also deserve balanced front-page reporting.
Byron Smith
President and board chairman
Royal & McPherson Theatres Society
