When Stephanie immigrated from France in 1991, she first lived in the GTA. She loved the vibrant lifestyle the big city offered, but wanted to settle her family in a place where they could afford a home, participate in a healthy lifestyle and be closer to nature. She also needed to be able to find a job doing what she loves: engaging people and communities through a shared experience in the arts.
She didn’t have to look far before she discovered St. Catharines and her job at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. She soon found herself at the centre of one of the most booming arts and culture scenes in Ontario.
Opened in 2015, the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre includes a 770-seat concert hall, 300-seat recital hall, 210-seat dance/theatre venue, and 199-seat film house.
Stephanie believes that what makes a city a world-class regional hub in driving economic development growth is having a vibrant Arts life, great diversity of cultures and sectors working in tandem.
The Niagara region boosts several Performing Arts organizations including the world-renowned Shaw Festival Theatre. It is home to The Niagara Symphony, Bravo Niagara!, Foster Festival, as well as various theatre companies and art galleries, music festivals and Brock University Marilyn I Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts.
You don’t need a big city to find big city culture. Discover it today in Niagara.