After carefully considering the City of Burnaby’s offer for a one-time grant alongside the Burnaby School District’s comprehensive review of the costs of the Michael J Fox Theatre, the Burnaby Board of Education must remain committed to prioritizing its finite resources toward Burnaby students and K-12 educational needs. As such, while the Board sincerely appreciates the City’s proposal, regrettably the transition will continue on July 1 to exclusive use of the theatre for school and District-related purposes.
Burnaby Board of Education Chair Kristin Schnider:
“We want to thank the City of Burnaby for their efforts throughout this process. This decision was not made lightly by the Board. We appreciate the uncertainty surrounding the future of the theatre has been difficult for the community, user groups, and the dedicated theatre staff. While we recognize the significance of this loss to the community and that this is not the outcome many had hoped for, we cannot redirect classroom dollars and staff resources to community theatre, as our duty is to prioritize education.”
The theatre has run at a financial loss for more than a decade. The District’s analysis included its evaluation that costs borne by the District go beyond that of the theatre’s estimated $150,000 operating loss for this year. The District has spent approximately $200,000 over the last year on the cost of time for staff, who hold other portfolios connected to the success of education, doing theatre-related work. Additionally, the theatre requires more than $700,000 in capital upgrades.
Recognizing the value of the theatre to the community, the District was in ongoing negotiations with the City for more than 18 months with the aim of establishing a partnership where the City would manage the venue’s operations through a licensing agreement with the District. Access for students and staff was to be maintained through that agreement. After determining that taking on a larger role would impose significant costs and long-term liabilities on taxpayers, the City of Burnaby proposed a one-time grant of up to $150,000 per year over the next two years to maintain access for community productions.
Superintendent Karim Hachlaf says that the grant would not solve the financial and additional issues, including that District staff simply must put their full attention on education.
“We appreciate the City of Burnaby’s collaboration throughout this process and absolutely respect their decision. Even with the City’s offer of a grant, it does not resolve the underlying financial and staffing pressures. We need to ensure our resources, including staff time, are aligned fully with our educational mandate.”
In January 2025 in a joint press release with the City, the District shared that due to management changes within the Michael J Fox Theatre Society, responsibility for the theatre changed, such that it rested solely with the Burnaby School District.
The City and District each conducted a comprehensive review of the theatre’s operational costs and required capital upgrades.
The Michael J Fox Theatre, which is located next to Burnaby South Secondary school, is an important learning and gathering space and will remain open for use by schools and the District, with reduced technical features.
Burnaby School District News Release, May 13, 2026
City to provide one-time grant to support operational deficit of Michael J. Fox Theatre
City of Burnaby News, Released May 12, 2026
Michael J Fox Theatre Usage Changing
Burnaby School District News Release, April 14, 2026
District and City of Burnaby Exploring Future Management of Michael J Fox Theatre
Joint News Release, City of Burnaby and Burnaby School District, January 14, 2025
Posted May 19, 2026