Hackett Park Stage & Amphitheatre

Officially opening the stage and amphitheatre on July 1, 2022. Left-Right: MLA Nicholas Simons, shíshálh Nation Councillor Selina August, Sechelt Mayor Darnelda Siegers and MP Patrick Weiler. 

 Accessible Stage

Hackett Park is the central community gathering place for Sechelt. It hosts major annual events and contains a wide range of amenities including sports fields, tennis courts, a playground, public washrooms and a concession stand. In 2020, the District of Sechelt was awarded a grant from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program for building an accessible, multi-purpose outdoor performance space in Hackett Park. This dedicated performance space will include the amenities needed to support both municipal events as well as community-led programming. It will expand upon the cultural and recreational opportunities in the park, and will provide Sechelt with accessible infrastructure to support outdoor festivals and events.

This performance space is a new addition to the park and will include the creation of an accessible covered stage. It will include a flexible backstage and wing space to provide users with an area for changing and/or staging, as well as temporary storage. The space should be suitable for a wide range of activities and events including dance, theatre, music, fitness and other community programming. Park pathways leading to and from the performance site will be improved for increased accessibility.

As required by the funding partners, this project is to be community-oriented, non-commercial and open for use by the public. As well, the built structure must meet or exceed the requirement of the highest published accessibility standards and any applicable energy efficiency standards.

An archeological assessment of the site has been completed and submitted to the shíshálh Nation. Discussion between the architect and the archaeologists will be arranged by the District of Sechelt to ensure the proposed design does not result in additional archaeological work being required.

Scope of work & Specifications

Overall Budget for Project: $220,000 CAD inclusive

Essential components:

• Performance platform/stage that is approximately 10m wide x 8m deep
• Roof structure for platform/stage
• Change rooms/ Storage space
• Public bathrooms already on site
• Electrical connection
• Improvements to accessible pathways

Design Considerations

The following design aspects should be considered when preparing a proposal:

• Performance space should have an integrated look and feel with Hackett Park and its surrounding neighbourhood.
• Performance space should support a variety of public uses, and suitable for uses such as dance, music, and theatre.
• Roof structure must overhang the performance space to ensure adequate protection from the elements while the stage is in use.
• All built structures and surrounding pathways and open viewing areas must meet or exceed current accessibility standards.
• Adequate electrical outlets to support a variety of multi-purpose uses, including performing arts events
• Design should include change rooms and storage.
• Unless recommended by the Parks Manager, no trees shall be removed in the construction of this stage
• Careful consideration of the audience viewing areas and audience seating areas.
• Site design should allow for vendors (e.g. food trucks) to set up in proximity to the stage and/or seating area with sufficient access to electrical connections.
• Materials used in the construction of the performance space should be sustainable, encourage proper drainage, and reduce long-term maintenance.

Amphitheatre

The Amphitheater project in lower Hackett Park will provide seating for between 150 and 200 people attending performances at the Hackett Park Accessible Stage which is scheduled to open in summer 2022.

Screening of archeological materials stored in Hackett Park from the Trail Ave construction project was completed in Spring of 2021 and the subsequent movement of the materials was completed in early summer 2021 with amphitheater style seating installed shortly thereafter. Although not included in the original Hackett Park Stage grant, the amphitheater provides seating for the stage and is funded through the Tourism Dependent Communities Grant of which $30,000 was set aside for this project. The 5 levels of seating were installed by a contractor and inspected by the District of Sechelt’s Chief Building Inspector to ensure it’s safety and that it meets any applicable building code requirements. Newly installed gates entering the lower field will allow access to the stage by performers and sound equipment engineers.