Once upon a time, there was a treasure located in the heart of one of the most beautiful parks in Montreal, Canada. A treasure with an uncertain future.

This jewel is the Théâtre de Verdure. This open air stage can accommodate 3,000 spectators in an oasis nested very close to the La Fontaine Park pond in Plateau-Mont-Royal. The 3,000 seats have been full at almost every free show presented at the Théâtre de Verdure since its inauguration in 1956. Dance shows, films, concerts.

An immense success. An inevitable gathering place during the beautiful summer evenings. But the Théâtre de Verdure is in a pitiful state. So much so that last summer, the City cancelled the season of free shows. The roof, the floor and the dressing rooms, among others, are in need of significant renovations.

We are talking about a lot more than a brushstroke here: renovations of $1.6 million. The City is even thinking of demolishing the theatre and building a new one. The tab would climb to $4.5 million. But it's difficult to find $4.5 million in this era of austerity, sources tell us at City Hall.

Now, a Question

So, are we going to rebuild or renovate? Since we are in Montreal, everything is complicated. The city center, the arrondissement, the park service, the cultural institutions, and the heritage institutions all have their say in this mess.

A reconstruction project was dismissed by the arrondissement. "Too heavy, too big, too massive," said Luc Ferrandez, Mayor of Plateau-Mont-Royal. The building is located in the middle of the park; we must respect the bucolic spirit of the site, he explains. For him, it's not as much a question of money as one of respecting history, the purpose, and architecture of the site.

The people in charge of culture would like a new higher building that is also more practical for circus performances, and offers better acoustics for symphonic orchestras. Maybe we should be happy with a theatre that is better married to the landscape of the La Fontaine Park and forget about circus performances, believes Luc Ferrandez.

A masterplan is in the works for the entire La Fontaine Park. In the plans are meetings with citizens. While we wait, it seems probable that there will be no free shows at the Theatre de Verdure for a second summer in a row. A group of citizens from the Plateau is pushing the City to renovate the place, even if temporarily, in order to revive the beautiful summer evenings at the Théâtre de Verdure.

"The Théâtre de Verdure is not like the other places in the La Fontaine Park. In the summer, it becomes the park's soul, and it's the only place where hundreds of Montreal citizens in love with culture and beauty can converge," writes the Avenir Parc La Fontaine Committee in a letter submitted to La Devoir.

We will soon find out what the price of the soul of a park is in the era of austerity.

What is the value of free cultural gathering places in cities? Are there public cultural spaces in your community under threat? Share your stories and thoughts in the comments area below.

Original article, originally published in French, here.

Credits: Data and images linked to sources.