MANNVILLE  –  Leon Benoit, Member of Parliament (Vegreville–Wainwright), today announced $18,000 to support the Vic Juba Community Theatre Board’s 2009 series. During its 2009 season, the Vic Juba Community Theatre will feature music, theatre, children’s jazz and theatre, and comedy from Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland, Manitoba and the United States.

Making the announcement on behalf of the Honourable  James Moore, P.C.,  M.P, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, Benoit explained, “Canada’s New Government is proud to support an organization with the broad artistic capacity that the Vic Juba Theatre Board has. Thanks to great community-based theatres like this one, all Canadians can learn to appreciate the arts, through their diverse cross-section of programming—including three outreach workshops.”

“The Vic Juba Community Theatre Board has been successful in forming long-term partnerships with the community,” said Mr. Benoit. “In fact, this year the series has been renamed the Dr. H.A. McDonald Series 2009. The late Dr. McDonald was a resident of Lloydminster and a well-respected Optometrist who was killed in a vehicle accident in 2000. His widow, Mrs. McDonald, has volunteered at the Theatre since its inception and is also a financial sponsor.  The Theatre wished to honour her contribution to their success and I think they have done it in a very fitting way. Congratulations to all the board, staff and volunteers whose hard work has made the theatre’s presentations so successful.”

“Our organization is most grateful for the Arts Presentation Canada funding from Canadian Heritage. This funding allows our organization to present artists and performances from a variety of genres that we would otherwise be unable to offer our community,” said Vic Juba, past-Chair of the Vic Juba Community Theatre Board.

The Vic Juba Community Theatre Board is a not-for-profit organization that presents diverse programming and encourages the arts as an essential component of community life. The Board’s multi-purpose, 563-seat, theatre facility, which officially opened in March 2002, can accommodate music, theatre, and dance productions. More information can be obtained at http://www.vicjubatheatre.ca//.

Canada’s Government has provided this funding through the Arts Presentation Canada program of the Department of Canadian Heritage. This program seeks to give Canadians more access to direct experiences of the diversity and richness of Canada’s culture through professional arts festivals, presentations of live professional performances, and other artistic experiences.