A Capitol Idea

If you want to know anything about the Capitol Centre just talk to Barry Burniston Vern Presse, Capitol Centre Board President, during a media conference held in the Centre’s Galaxy Circle room today.

Presse told the audience during the official book launch of ‘The Capitol’ that Burniston may not look like a computer or an archive, but Buriniston is the go to guy for all the details on the city’s historical gem..

Burniston said the project all started when he discovered an old black and white photo of the centre in a newspaper and then went on to paint the photo. Burniston says getting down to the finest detail the name Sylvia Sidney on the marquee started his quest to find out all about the theatre. Sidney was a legend when she died in 1999 with 40 films to her credit including the very popular Beetle Juice and a recurring role on Fantasy Island.

Burniston told the audience that a majority of the Centre’s records were ruined in a flood therefor the archives had very little dating back before the 1970’s, so he spent a great deal of time at the North Bay Public Library for three years pouring over microfiche. Burniston also spent time talking to people and deciphering notes recounting their history at the centre.

“I have a broad overall perspective,” he explains.

“I was afraid it was going to be a boring book … to much detail, I’d look at it and even I was bored. But I had enough people tell me ‘publish it’.”

Burniston uncovered quite a few details including who purchased the property and developed it. Louis Rosenbaum, a businessman from Sturgeon Falls, was the original owner until he sold the building to Famous Players in 1929. The theatre remained a movie house with Famous Players until 1985 when dwindling audiences had the Players talking Cineplex or sale. That’s when Betty Spears and the TAC council entered the picture lobbying to keep the building in tact.

The argument was strong and in the end Spears and her crew convinced the city the building was worth saving and reopened the doors in 1987 under the name of the North Bay’s Arts Centre.

“I still haven’t read the finished product,” says Burniston.

“It’s like one of my paintings, I have to be away from it for a while and then come back at it fresh.”

Burniston invested his own funds to produce the work and has pledged five dollars from every book sold will be donated back to the Capitol Centre.