In June of 2017, local resident and blogger Paul Langan requested a permit to use Tassie Hall and yet was denied. Upon further investigation at the school he was outraged by the state of both Tassie Hall and the amphitheatre behind Galt Collegiate.
Pointing fingers at how the school and the school board have let these areas decline, Paul shared his thoughts on his website:
The Cambridge Times agreed that Paul's article deserved to be shared and offered to post his thoughts on their opinion page a few days later.
In July of 2017, Galt Collegiate Institute posted a small tidbit on their website to address the concerns by the public of what was happening with Tassie Hall and the Amphitheatre. It linked to a PDF document that outlined what work they have been doing to repair Tassie Hall and indicated that the Amphitheatre had closed in 2009. Although this article existed, many community members and former students weren't aware of the closure of the amphitheatre as it was still open to below. Pictures from around this time indicate that there were still garbage cans and the only area that appeared to be closed off was the accessibility ramps.
Website link: https://gci.wrdsb.ca/2017/07/07/our-historic-gem/
In January 2018, Facility Services with the Waterloo Region School Board requested $30,000 to demolish the stairs, ramps and stage at the Amphitheatre as they have deemed the area unsafe and repairs were slated to cost over $500,000 per a 2017 report. A local citizen spoke up at the meeting to advocate to save the space and drew attention of the Record.
https://www.therecord.com/news-story/9138773-curtain-closing-on-amphitheatre-behind-galt-collegiate/
A week after the last article was posted, Paul Langan wrote another Opinion article for the Cambridge Times pointing fingers at the WRDSB for gross negligence in maintaining the amphitheatre space.
Former alumni and Cambridge Booster Corina Harris took to the blog Cbridge.ca to express her thoughts on the subject. She reminisced on how she used the space when at the school and how it could be used for more than just students in the future. She argued that it will take more than just school dollars to save the space.
As media attention grew, so did the interest of former alumni and a delegation appeared in front of the School Board trustees in mid-March requesting the public be included in any consultation and proposing the need for a Public-Private Partnership. The Record picked up the story after confirmation that the consultation will include input from not just students but the local community and alumni.
