By Cheryl Jahn

Downtown group seeks funding from NDIT

Jun 17, 2022 | 3:20 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The basement in the Knox United Church has been gutted, partly to repair some water damage following a fire. But the work will coincide with plans for a music hall upstairs.

“Everything is absolutely Part A must fit with Part B,” explains Reverend Dr. Bob Fillier with Trinity United Church. “So we’re not doing anything that we will need to undo.”

The pair recently got approval from Council to pursue $145,000 in funding from the Northern Development Initiatives Trust. And they settled on that amount after conducting a feasibility study.

“It told us exactly what we should do and in what order to convert this into a general gathering space as a church into something that could hold concerts and other live events,” explains Eli Klasner, Executive Director for the Prince George and District Community Arts Council. “So the $145,000 actually equals just under $300,000 because Trinity United Church has actually found the initial $145,000.”

Cougars

Cougars eliminate Chiefs in Game 6

16h ago

Spring Snow

Special weather statement issued for Pine Pass, Peace region with 'moderate to heavy snow' expected

Apr 05, 2026

Taber, Alta., named Hockeyville winner over Tumbler Ridge, B.C.

Apr 05, 2026

The hope is to convert the facility into a 250-seat community concert and live events venue.

“Now this doesn’t mean that it needs to replace any larger performing arts venue. A civic owned and operated facility,” couches Klasner. “We desperately need a new one of those.”

There are still services in the church, along with the ubiquitous weddings and funerals. But the idea is to create a community hall, much as was the case years ago when the church played a much bigger role.

“If you go back four or five hundred years, the churches were the community spaces, they were the community halls,” says Reverend Fillier. “It’s where the farmers’ market happened, it’s where everything of significance happened in the community.”

COVID put the brakes on the pair’s plans to have events in the facility earlier. But there is such pent-up demand for venues right now that they may even squeeze in events between bouts of construction.