Passing by 2203 Gottingen Street these days means veering a little wide on the sidewalk, as a billowing tarp covers the entryway to The Bus Stop Theatre. A new, more accessible entrance—an automatic door, new windows and a paint job—comprises the latest round of renovations the north end venue is undertaking. Work has been done on the building throughout the pandemic, with September 2021 seeing the space debut a new lobby in time for that year's Fringe Festival.
"Prior to these renovations, The Bus Stop was known kind of by default as one of the most accessible venues in the city, but that's only because everywhere else is so inaccessible," Sebastien Labelle, executive director of The Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative, told The Coast back then, taking us on an exclusive tour of the space. He added that the new renovations are aiming for greater inclusion by design, "paying attention to the proper standards and codes for accessibility."
After almost losing its building in 2019 due to rapid development in the neighbourhood, The Bus Stop Theatre Co-Operative purchased 2203 Gottingen Street in July 2020. It is the last independent theatre space in Halifax's north end.
Labelle tells The Coast by email he expects the final renovations of the building will be completed in June 2022, with the new entryway being unveiled in late April.