Theatre Aquarius finds a home on King William Street

Theatre Aquarius unveiled a 750-seat home on King William Street at Ferguson Avenue North in September 1991 - 18 years after the theatre company was founded.

With top-flight production facilities, the centre - now known as the Dofasco Centre for the Arts - was built at a cost of almost $12 million and designed by Peter Smith. Previously, performances were primarily held at the Studio Theatre at Hamilton Place.

The new centre provided Theatre Aquarius, the hub of professional theatre in the region, with its own space, which allowed the company to grow.

Aquarius was brought to Hamilton by artistic directors Peter Mandia and Nanci Rossov. The two were known to shake things up artistically. After Rossov left to start a film company and Mandia died suddenly in 1994, the theatre hit a rough patch.

The move into the new centre contributed to Theatre Aquarius' financial trouble.

In 1996, along came Max Reimer, who helped guide the theatre out of debt and build audiences. Now, the Dofasco Centre welcomes more than 100,000 visitors a year.