A new state-of-the-art stage floor, the first of its kind to be installed in Canada, is right here in Vernon.

The Vernon Performing Arts Centre (VDPAC), with funds from the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO), has installed the Harlequin RockSure stage flooring.

鈥淲e are a busy theatre with many quick turnarounds,鈥� says executive director Jim Harding. 鈥淥ur stage must accommodate everything from dance to theatre, comedy to concerts, to the acrobatic Cirque shows, so being a vented floor, durable and with minimal maintenance is critical to meeting our quick-changeover scheduling demands.鈥�

VDPAC proposed to RDNO the new RockSure flooring for its permanency, load-bearing capacity and resistance to water, tape, fire, expansion or shrinkage; does not require painting; and its overall low maintenance.

Harlequin鈥檚 own team transformed VDPAC鈥檚 main stage earlier this month.

Replacement of VDPAC鈥檚 stage floor surface became increasingly evident as the hardboard layer, installed in February 2023 as part of the full stage reconstruction became progressively damaged by normal performance use over the spring.

Total costs of flooding-related RDNO and VDPAC insurance claims, including equipment replacement, reimbursements, stage reconstruction and materials is still being finalized a year later.

RDNO allocated $150,000 for the new Harlequin flooring, including the costs of the damaged hardboard tearout, and installation of new perimeter air boards for venting.

鈥淚 expect the new floor will reduce annual stage paint costs by $5,000-6,000 alone, with additional crew and stage maintenance savings,鈥� says Harding.

Next to fire, the worst nightmare a theatre can face is flooding.

That is precisely what happened in December 2022 when below seasonal temperatures went to -37 C triggering VDPAC鈥檚 deluge fire suppression system. The resulting flooding damaged the theatre鈥檚 main stage, sub-stage, and loading bay areas, luxurious main curtain, lighting and audio equipment, and deposited two feet of treated water in the theatre鈥檚 orchestra pit.

The flood required stripping out the original stage and subfloors down to the bare concrete for complete replacement of the stage. In March 2023, performances resumed, however by summer 2023, the replacement floor鈥檚 hardboard surface was deemed unsafe for live performances.

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