Cue the music Massey Hall to get additional $8M for overhaul - Action News
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Toronto

Cue the music Massey Hall to get additional $8M for overhaul

Massey Hall is set to get an additional $8 million from the federal government to help fund renovations.

The federal government is committing millions to revitalize the century-old music venue

A $139 million dollar revitalization is planned for Massey Hall. The venue was built in 1894 and was designated as a National History Site of Canada in 1981. (Galit Rodan/The Canadian Press)

Massey Hall is set to get an additional $8 million from the federal government to help fund renovations.

Mlanie Joly, the minister of Canadian heritage, made the announcement Friday, saying the investment will help create jobs and strengthen the economy.

The funding will also help ensure the iconic music venue remains "a home to showcase and cultivate our future leaders in arts, culture and beyond," saidDeane Cameron, President andCEO of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall.

The Massey Hall stage has seen hundreds of artists perform including Glenn Gould, Neil Young, Charlie Parker, Rush, Blue Rodeo and Justin Bieber. (Peter MacCallum)

The venue near Victoria and Shuterstreets opened in 1894 and can hold more than 2,700 people. It was designated as a National History Site of Canada in 1981.

The long list of artists who have graced its 123-year-old stage reads like a modern history book of music from Igor Stravinsky to Oscar Peterson, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell to Justin Bieber.

Phase 2 of the Massey Hall Revitalization plan is set to begin in 2019. (Peter MacCallum)

In 2013, the federal budget included a commitment of $8 million for the venue's revitalization. That same year theprovince of Ontario said it would also commit $8 million to help begin the process. The Massey Hall Revitalization project was officially launched in 2015 at a projected cost of $139 million.