CollingwoodToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected] or via the website. Please include your full name, daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). CollingwoodToday received the following letter in response to the story ‘Forward-thinking’: Draft plans for Collingwood’s downtown revealed

I was not able to attend the presentation on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 84 Hurontario. I think it foolhardy to think of our art and culture centre being located in our downtown. Parking is already limited and even if the new centre was to provide underground parking you would still lose the site for our popular market.

I think the art and culture centre should be on Mountain Road just up from Metro or in the vicinity of Poplar Sideroad and Raglan Street. I would expect that the lands would require rezoning but it would be a positive addition to the Collingwood community.  

Theatre patrons are prepared to drive +/- 15 minutes to restaurants as they do for the third largest theatre company in Ontario, Drayton Entertainment. Drayton has the following theatres: Kings Wharf, St. Jacobs, Drayton, Huron Country Playhouse, South Huron Stage and the Hamilton Family Theatre in Cambridge. It is only the Cambridge theatre that is located in a downtown setting.

Many of us from Collingwood attend shows at Kings Wharf in Penetanguishene, a 75-minute drive with restaurants approximately 15 minutes away from the theatre.

Peter J. Hall
Nottawa, Ont.