Highland Arts Theatre, Sydney
Originally constructed in 1910鈥�1911 as Saint Andrew鈥檚 Presbyterian Church, this Gothic鈥慠evival gem was designed by Toronto architects Curry & Sparling and built with locally sourced Mira red brick. Its stately architecture-towering buttressed bell towers, arched windows, a sweeping staircase entrance, and a vaulted ceiling-set it apart as a rare and elegant structure in the Cape Breton region.
When the building was decommissioned as a church in 2013, declining attendance and high upkeep costs prompted its closure. Local musician and entrepreneur Kevin Colford and a community-led team then transformed the sanctuary into a state-of-the-art performance venue. It officially reopened in June 2014 with the original musical, "The Wakowski Brothers".
Today, The theatre operates as a professional arts centre, actively producing theatre, concerts, dance, film screenings, and more-often spotlighting Cape Breton stories and musical traditions. By mid-2019, the venue had already staged over 60 local productions, holding professional membership within Theatre Nova Scotia.
Inside, the theatre houses an impressive Casavant Fr猫res pipe organ-the largest on Cape Breton Island, originally installed in 1911-which dominates the stage's apse and fills the space with rich, resonant sound. Complementing this is the original McShane ten鈥慴ell chime-a mechanical marvel cast in Baltimore and installed for the church鈥檚 dedication. Many of these bells bear inscriptions from Psalms and remain playable to this day.
When the building was decommissioned as a church in 2013, declining attendance and high upkeep costs prompted its closure. Local musician and entrepreneur Kevin Colford and a community-led team then transformed the sanctuary into a state-of-the-art performance venue. It officially reopened in June 2014 with the original musical, "The Wakowski Brothers".
Today, The theatre operates as a professional arts centre, actively producing theatre, concerts, dance, film screenings, and more-often spotlighting Cape Breton stories and musical traditions. By mid-2019, the venue had already staged over 60 local productions, holding professional membership within Theatre Nova Scotia.
Inside, the theatre houses an impressive Casavant Fr猫res pipe organ-the largest on Cape Breton Island, originally installed in 1911-which dominates the stage's apse and fills the space with rich, resonant sound. Complementing this is the original McShane ten鈥慴ell chime-a mechanical marvel cast in Baltimore and installed for the church鈥檚 dedication. Many of these bells bear inscriptions from Psalms and remain playable to this day.
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Highland Arts Theatre on Map
Sight Name: Highland Arts Theatre
Sight Location: Sydney, Canada (See walking tours in Sydney)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Sydney, Canada (See walking tours in Sydney)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Sydney, Nova Scotia
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Sydney, Nova Scotia, was founded in 1785 by British authorities as a haven for Loyalists... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.5 Km or 0.9 Miles