Ryga finally getting his arts centre
A celebrated Canadian playwright who spent the latter part of his life in Summerland is getting a public building named in his honour – almost half a century after council sent a wrecking ball through his efforts to create an arts and cultural centre in the community.
Current councillors voted unanimously this week to change the name of the Summerland Arts and Cultural Centre to the George Ryga Arts and Cultural Centre when it reopens in late September following a renovation.
Ryga lived and worked in Summerland from 1963 until his death in 1987 at the age of 55. It was in Summerland where he penned his ground-breaking play, “The Ecstasy of Rita Joe,” in 1967.
It was first such work to address the plight of the country’s Indigenous people and remains the bestselling Canadian play of all time.
Since his death, Ryga’s former home has been preserved and an annual festival created in his name, but Coun. Doug Holmes suggested that putting the playwright’s name on the arts centre is a more fitting tribute.
“And that’s largely because of the role Georgy Ryga had in trying to establish an arts centre in Summerland way back in the ’70s,” said Holmes.
Drawing on information from Ryga’s biography, Holmes said Ryga tried in 1975 to have Summerland’s vacant former
hospital, then known as Century House, converted to an arts centre.
Ryga formed a committee, had a feasibility study prepared and even found a town councillor to champion the idea, but it was shot down by the rest of council, which voted at the meeting to demolish Century House.
“We’ve always had lively meetings here in Summerland, I guess,” Holmes said with a laugh.
Ryga then applied for a court injunction to block the demolition and organized a sit-in with local artists occupying the building to help save it.
“Then, early one morning, the municipality moved in with a wrecking crane and began battering down the roof,
debris narrowly missing the occupants,” Holmes said.
The municipality finally relented and granted the building a stay of execution pending a court decision.
“A court ruled in favour of the town council and, in 1978, Century House was demolished and the community never got its arts centre – and, to this day, I believe that the lot is still sitting empty,” said Holmes.
Council’s decision leaves enough time to order signage with Ryga’s name on it before the centre reopens following a $600,000 renovation, which includes upgrades to architectural, mechanical and electrical systems, a new office and accessibility improvements.