The Stratford Festival Theatre Centennial Project
From Built Heritage News no. 258 of May 1st:-
“I am going to make one request of you this evening and it is this. In a few short years this nation will be celebrating its Centennial. National and local committees have been setup to make the best allocation they can of available means for the effective marking of this anniversary in a manner keeping with Canada’s history, her traditions and the greatness of her destiny. I ask that you, the members of this profession, should play a most important part, and I ask you to do that and to present to the Centennial Committee as soon as possible your views and suggestions for this celebration; something to touch the hearts of Canadians, something to represent the unity of our country, something to embody the paradox of two great national stocks which joined together to make Confederation possible…“
Prime Minister John G. Diefenbaker in an address to the 53rd annual assembly of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, June 1960. Source Journal of the RAIC quoted by Marco L. Polo in “Architecture and National Identity: The Centennial Projects 50 Years On“
“…how is it that we are not seeing bold public projects showcasing our best architectural talent 50 years later? There is no one reason for it; perhaps it is because we may still be paying off some of those (Centennial) costs! We are definitely in a different age, less concerned with architecture as an expression of the spirit of the nation.” Catherine Nasmith
