About Us
HISTORY, OBJECTIVES AND CURRENT PROJECTS
The Raymond Burr Performing Arts Society ("Society") was incorporated in the Province of British Columbia with filings with the Registrar of Companies on August 22, 1996. Under its Society Act Constitution, the Society purposes are enumerated as follows:
" (a) To acquire, renovate, fund and operate a centre for performing arts in Downtown New Westminster,
" (a) To acquire, renovate, fund and operate a centre for performing arts in Downtown New Westminster,
British Columbia;
(b) To encourage the development of performing arts in the community;
(c) To raise funds to carry out the purposes of the Society."
From a peak of fifteen (15) Directors it was an active community based organization until 2006 when it ceased to operate the Raymond Burr Performing Arts Center- its first objective above. It now has a Board of three Directors who carry out its remaining two charitable purposes.
The Society originally held an option to purchase the Old Columbia Theatre building which expired in July 15, 1999. In the year 2000, The City of New Westminster purchased the Columbia Theatre with $800,000 of Casino money and made necessary improvements to the roof for $245,000.
Between 2001 and 2005, the Society launched a series of plays in what came to be known as the "Burr Theatre", named after New Westminster native, actor Raymond Burr, that successfully contributed growing amounts to the overhead and restoration of historic elements of the facility, under the direction of Ms. Ellie King, the Society's Founding Artistic Director. However, despite this success, the City of New Westminster terminated the Society's occupation of the building as a legitimate theatre, in March, 2006 and sold the building, leaving a void in the community performing arts scene.
Since 2009, the Society has not had a suitable home to launch productions, in accordance to its first objective, and its artistic contributors have migrated away from New Westminster. Instead, the Society has concentrated on executing its second objective by providing funding for an annual "Burrsary" at the Douglas College New Westminster Theatre Arts Programmes, called the Raymond Burr Performing Arts Society 2nd Year Entrance Award. To date, the Society has provided annual funding, through the Douglas College Foundation, of six (6) Theatre Arts Students.
In conjunction with the celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Raymond Burr's birthday in May 2017, and in fulfillment of its 3rd objective, above, the Society is embarking on a fund raising effort to endow, and if successful, expand its "Burrsary" program at Douglas College. To that end, we have launched a program in partnership with Douglas College, and the sponsorship of others, in accordance with our May, 2016 Press Release, to launch the "BURR 100" Committee to put on a series of fund raising events in the third week of May, 2017 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Raymond Burr's birthday in order to cement his legacy and devotion to the performance arts and to encourage and support new talent.