General Info

THE SANCTUARY ON THIRD CAPITAL CAMPAIGN ENHANCING MUSIC & COMMUNITY IN DOWNTOWN SASKATOON Home of the Saskatoon Children's Choir. To capitalize on its favoured position as a leading venue for music, the arts, weddings and to continue to strengthen and grow its commitment to supporting the faith needs of the community, Third Avenue is building: A Sanctuary on Third. The Sanctuary is a building and funding support project that will allow Third Avenue United Church to enhance its facility as a centre of music and faith. The project has gathered input from the congregation, staff and the community; impresarios, musicians, and artists have provided advice; and architects have completed preliminary work. Expansions and renovations will include: an expanded stage area. The current concert platform will be expanded to 30' wide by 30' long, providing an opportunity to move the stage forward into the Sanctuary space. This expanded stage will be a permanent deck and support structure to support the requirements of professional and amateur musicians. the seating area will be reconfigured to allow the stage to move forward, provide strong sight lines and further enhance the audience's ability to enjoy live music. When complete the Santuary will have optimized its seating to accommodate about 880 people, maintaining its position as one of Saskatoon's largest venues for live music. infastructure will be adapted to further accommodate increasingly sophisticated light and sound systems. Additional wiring and a technical sound booth area will ensure the already excellent acoustics of the Sanctuary are maximized and recording of events is improved. The Sanctuary on Third will focus all of its activities and enhancements on ensuring the legendary acoustics of the Church will be maintained and improved. Our first goal for the Sanctuary on Third is to enhance the acoustics of the Church, build a larger presentation stage area for larger concerts and events, provide administrative and support space to the venue, improve the sound delivery system, reposition the seating profile, and ensure support services like washrooms and reception areas meet the visitors' experience. The second goal for the Sanctuary on Third is to support the continued upkeep and maintenance of the Church's position and to maintain the requirements of the current congregation - valuing and supporting the traditions of comfort, securty and community building. The total cost of this project has been estimated at $2.0 million. The Sanctuary on Third Campaign will run from 2009 to 2011 and will raise these funds through donations, pledges, in-kind support, business arrangements, and all forms of personal and direct giving.