One of the Sunshine Coast’s most venerable performance venues is making dramatic updates to its infrastructure, with new energy-efficient stage lighting the most recent addition to enhancements at the Gibsons Heritage Playhouse.
New light-emitting diode (LED) instruments were purchased by the Gibsons Landing Heritage Society, the non-profit society formed in 1987 to oversee the restoration and operation of the 93-year-old theatre.
“Replacing the lights with LEDs is part of an overall plan to reduce our energy footprint altogether,” said Dianne Evans, the society’s president.
Funding for the project came from a Crown corporation that provides lending services for agriculture businesses, Farm Credit Canada (FCC). Through its corporate philanthropy arm, the AgriSpirit Fund, FCC annually invites proposals for energy consumption reduction projects by charities, non-profit groups, First Nations and Métis settlements in communities of less than 150,000 people.
The $8,000 project is one in a string of recent modernization initiatives at the Heritage Playhouse designed to reduce costs and reduce environmental impacts.
Early this year, the Sunshine Coast Community Solar Association contacted the society to propose a report exploring creative reductions of energy consumption for the building. The group envisioned the possibility of solar panelling on the structure’s gabled roof to supplement electricity provided by BC Hydro’s power grid.
Another initiative, a heat pump that will provide high-efficiency heating and cooling, was the focus of a fund-raising effort in April led by Megan and Cody Kelso. The pair spent five days atop a scissor lift to raise $20,000 toward acquisition of the energy-saving device.
“We’ve got enough money to actually get going on the heat pump, but we have to wait and do more technical work right now,” said Evans.
The lighting replacement project began in 2018. The theatre had been operating for two decades with incandescent lights that were costly to operate, with energy losses as waste heat.
A grant from the Sunshine Coast Community Forest Legacy Fund helped the society acquire a new lighting control board, electrical panels and a limited number of modern spotlights.
One of the benefits of modern LED stage lights is their ability to alter colours with the touch of a button, instead of requiring a technician to insert a coloured gel. Separate electrical dimmers are also not required, as digital circuitry replaces unwieldy power control equipment.
“It was hard to keep going during the pandemic,” said Evans. “I know that some of the lights that had been purchased [with the Community Forest Legacy contribution] were just sitting waiting for the day when they could be installed.” As pandemic restrictions receded, the new fixtures were installed in December 2021 in time for exultant performances of The Nutcracker by the Sunshine Coast Youth Dance Association.
The latest lighting instruments were installed this week in time for the Saturday benefit performance by local magician Justin “Bro” Gilbert and mentalist Eric Samuels. At the Playhouse’s Annual General Meeting on Wednesday night, Evans welcomed the election of new board members Diana Robertson and Fred Inglis as the group prepares for more advances.
“We’ll continue to make progress in two areas of interest,” she said. “Continuing to make the Playhouse thrive, and continuing with energy conservation — replacing the lights —, making ourselves as sustainable as possible.”
