Ottawa commits up to $25 million to rebuild Niagara’s Royal George Theatre

The federal government has committed up to $25 million toward rebuilding the century-old Royal George Theatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The theatre, one of the Shaw Festival’s three main venues, closed in 2025 after the building exceeded its expected service life. Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada says site preparation has begun.

A roughly $90-million project

The full reconstruction is expected to cost about $90 million. Ontario has committed $35 million, with donors and Shaw Festival supporters expected to cover the remaining share. Federal funding is conditional on project requirements, including environmental assessment and Indigenous consultation obligations where applicable.

Plans call for step-free accessibility throughout the venue, improved acoustics, geothermal heating and cooling, rooftop solar panels, a high-performance building envelope and lower-carbon materials including mass timber.

The federal announcement estimates the project will create 850 jobs and add $80 million a year in regional economic activity. Those figures are projections, not measured results.

Source: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, published September 10, 2026.