The money-losing Toronto Centre for the Arts should just go on the auction block, according to some members of Toronto's Audit Committee, as they looked over the financial statements for the theatre complex at Yonge and Sheppard.
"The mayor's blue ribbon panel talked about looking at assets strategically and determining whether you keep them or sell them - well as long as I've been on audit committee this has been coming up over and over again," said Ward 39 (Scarborough Agincourt) Councillor Mike Del Grande. "We should be talking about this critically. I don't know what the value of the building is, but this is one where we need to look critically."

The arts centre on Yonge Street north of Sheppard Avenue has been an ongoing issue for the city since shortly after amalgamation in 1998, when the new megacity inherited the property from the former North York, and Livent - Garth Drabinsky's production company, contracted to operate the centre, imploded into bankruptcy.

Since then, Toronto taxpayers have been footing the bill for the overhead of the centre - and last year, contributed about $1.25 million in subsidy. The corporation has also signed with theatre producer Aubrey Dan and Dancap to mount a major show on the complex's mainstage, and Vice-president of Operations Pim Schotanus said the rest of the facility is well-used by community groups.

"We have gone through budget committee and many, many reports have been tabled about shutting the facility down," he said. "I believe that we are open to any suggestions as to how to make the organization more profitable - as well as staying open for the many, many fine community groups that are actively utilizing the facilities."

Schotanus said that in the past the centre's board has been limited by council's directive that it not assume any risk on behalf of the city - and suggested that the centre could turn around now that Dancap is effectively assuming that risk with its own productions.

The committee finally asked for a full accounting of the total subsidy that the city has sent the arts centre's way - after musing about the various costs and so-called "white elephants" that the former North York has left for the new City of Toronto

"When I think of Mel (Lastman) - he left an awful legacy for us as far as costs are concerned," said committee chair Doug Holyday. "This one is a million and a quarter - that Sheppard subway loses seven to eight million dollars a year - and he left us sidewalk snow ploughing that cost us $6 million a year, and 80 per cent of that is already removed by people."

Ward 8 (York West) Councillor Anthony Perruzza defended keeping the arts centre public, however.

"This is a white elephant that's cost the taxpayers in the former North York a great deal of money," said Perruzza. "But if you ask me would I support selling it? Absolutely not! The Sheppard subway is another thing that we're subsidizing. Would you come forward and say let's shut her down, after having spent billions of dollars?"