Vic Juba Community Theatre had its strongest year in recent memory in 2025, and now it’s asking the community to help protect the investment.
General manager Jen McConnell told Lloydminster’s Governance and Priorities Committee June 15 the theatre drew 51,558 patrons last year, sold 83 per cent of available seats across its season, and posted a financial surplus after a stretch of leaner years.
“The theater’s also making money, which it hasn’t been for a while,” said Coun. Michael Diachuk, a board member, during the presentation.
The theatre’s Dr. H.A. McDonald season delivered seven sellouts across 17 shows in 2025, a record for the venue. Average attendance sat at 420 of 550 available seats per show, and the average ticket price was $47.78. McConnell estimated the theatre’s economic spinoff for the year at $4.1 million.
Community groups and educational institutions made up 74 per cent of the theatre’s users in 2025, including 19 per cent specifically from Lloydminster’s Catholic and public school divisions. Commercial bookings, including corporate clients and concert promoters, accounted for the remaining 26 per cent. The facility logged 175 event days over the year, a figure McConnell said counts each use of the space rather than calendar days, meaning a seven-day youth theatre booking counts once.
Roughly 2,080 volunteer hours kept the venue running in 2025, and the theatre introduced sensory bags this year, including noise-reduction headphones, fidget tools and communication cards, aimed at making performances more accessible for patrons with sensory sensitivities.
“Our goal is simple, to make the theater a welcoming space for all,” said McConnell.
The theatre’s infrastructure needs drew the most council discussion. McConnell told council the theatre is approaching what she called a pivotal point after more than two decades of careful maintenance.
“We are approaching a pivotal point where key building systems and infrastructure require investment to ensure the long-term sustainability of this community asset before issues become past due and far more expensive to address,” said McConnell.
The staff is working with the Lloydminster Regional Theatre Foundation to raise $100,000 toward a $2-million rehabilitation project covering the roof and HVAC systems, with the funds intended to strengthen the theatre’s position when applying for matching grants. The city, as building owner, is ultimately responsible for those large capital costs, with the fundraising effort meant to ease pressure on taxpayers.
Tracy Simpson, the city’s executive manager of operations, told council the $2-million project is included in the city’s 10-year capital plan. He said the city and Vic Juba staff have spent recent years sorting out which capital costs belong to which party, with some, like auditorium carpet replacement this year, split 50-50.
Coun. David Lopez asked how the remaining $1.9 million would be funded beyond the $100,000 campaign.
“That $2 million will have to come from other sources, reserve funding from the city, infrastructure grants, those kinds of things, like we fund all our other capital,” said Simpson.
Council also pressed McConnell on operating costs for community user groups, after Coun. Jim Taylor raised concerns from a group that had approached him about rising theatre rental rates. McConnell said the theatre hasn’t adjusted its base rates since 2023 and only recently introduced a 2 per cent increase for 2027.
McConnell noted, They make about $200 from a community user and making as many concessions within the parameters because the city, as well as our board, has said you need to make sure to cover the rising costs.”
McConnell said the theatre’s foundation met two weeks ago with the Spotlight Kids Theatre Association to discuss combining fundraising efforts, including for wireless microphone equipment shared by user groups.
Coun. Justin Vance asked whether any grant funding supports the theatre’s day-to-day operations rather than capital projects. McConnell said the theatre receives annual programming grants through the federal Canadian Arts Presentation Fund and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, though neither covers locally produced or community-based presentations.
“Those grants, though, do not cover anything community-based in terms of presentation,” said McConnell. “It has to be internationally or national-based artists.”
The new 2026-27 season went on sale June 1. McConnell said the lineup includes Bury the Hatchet, a true-crime theatre and concert production from the United Kingdom inspired by the Lizzie Borden case, and a stories-and-songs evening with Tom Morello, the guitarist from Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave.
McConnell said the building draws roughly 60 per cent of its broader audience from within Lloydminster and 40 per cent from the surrounding region, with community-specific events skewing closer to 80 per cent local. The theatre hired a marketing assistant last fall to expand regional advertising within roughly a 150-kilometre radius, reaching communities as far as North Battleford, Cold Lake and Unity.
The theatre also negotiated an expanded role with the Cenovus Energy Hub’s concert working group in 2025, building on staffing support it has provided for events at the venue.
The theatre’s 25th operational anniversary falls in 2027.
Read more: Through the eyes of Vic Juba: A community gets its stage
