To the Editor,
The proponents of the idea of buying the Alberni Valley Bulldogs junior hockey team suggest that the AV Multiplex is a vital community centre, a gathering place. However, that function for decades has been fulfilled by the Alberni District Secondary School Auditorium, a fact underlined to me by the last Timbre concert of the season.
In addition to an assembly hall for students, their drama and musical events, the auditorium has been the site of Remembrance Day occasions, town hall meetings on a variety of issues, appearances of international figures such as Stephen Lewis, and performances by the Vancouver Symphony, Chinese acrobats, the Vancouver Arts Club, Andre Phllipe Gagnon, Moe Kaufman, Peter Appleyard, Liona Boyd, Frank Mills and the list goes on and on.
It would be sheer madness to tear down such a fine multi-million dollar facility.
Indeed if the “buy the Bulldogs” campaign fails to reach its financial target, perhaps the money raised could go toward putting in a new heating system for the auditorium and making other necessary improvements.
If it goes, this community will never be the same and much will have been lost forever.
Richard Berg,
Port Alberni
