2025 Year in Review & Progress Update

The purpose of this update is to share information with people interested in what is happening at the Old Town Hall. While this message is not a comprehensive list, it is intended to share an overview of ongoing projects.

Old Town Hall Advisory Committee

The Old Town Hall Advisory Committee met a total of 7 times in 2025. The Committee continues to discuss opportunities to improve user experience and usage of the Old Town Hall Theatre. The Committee meets approximately every 6 weeks. The first meeting of 2026 is expected mid-late January.

2025 Rentals

In 2025, the Old Town Hall Theatre was rented a total of 95 times, generating approximately $8,671.00 in revenue. It should be noted that the total number of rentals includes the Town’s use of the facility for events and programming, which does not result in rental revenue. The largest user group/event type were arts related, followed by the Town of Aylmer for programming and administrative functions, then private functions. When compared to 2024 (31 rentals), the venue saw a 206% increase in use and an 116% increase in revenue in 2025.

Facility Upgrades

Facility upgrades completed in 2025 include:

• Replacement of old fridge with a new, glass-front catering fridge
• HVAC upgrades and duct dampers for the A/V booth and backstage
• Redesignating single unit gendered washrooms to gender-neutral to help alleviate lineups during intermissions by providing two washrooms for all to use
• Paint balcony supports to better blend into the structure

Promotional Materials & Advertising

Town staff completed a review and redesign of the venue's rental information package. Two rental packages were prepared - one for theatre & musical performances and one for weddings and events. Both packages contain information relevant to potential clients, including rental rates, venue capacity, technical specifications, staffing, layout options, and parking.

Staff also developed a brochure highlighting key information about the venue. It was made available through the Town Hall office, as well as the Old Town Hall lobby, and will be distributed to local tourism offices and local vendors.

A Facebook and Instagram page were also created to promote the Old Town Hall theatre as a venue. Staff continue to work to build the venue's following and community. The page will be updated regularly with events and rental information.

User Facility Liability Insurance

Staff have implemented Marsh’s User Facility Liability Insurance program to provide accessible and affordable coverage for groups renting the Old Town Hall Theatre, and other Town facilities. This program ensures that community organizations and event organizers have adequate liability protection when using the facility, while reducing administrative barriers and supporting consistent risk management. Under the program, low-risk events are insured at no extra cost, except in the case of an incident, where the client is then responsible for up to $1,000 of the deductible. Information on the program has been added to rental packages, and staff will continue to monitor its effectiveness and provide guidance to tenants and renters as needed.

Community Recreation & Culture Programmer

At the November 5, 2025 meeting of the Town of Aylmer’s Finance Committee, Council endorsed the conversion of the part-time Community Programming Assistant role to a new full-time Community Recreation & Culture Programmer position with an anticipated start date of January 2026.

The expansion of this role to a full-time position enables the Town to better meet operational and community programming demands. The Community Recreation & Culture Programmer will assume responsibilities related to special events coordination, Old Town Hall facility management, and volunteer and community engagement - functions that overlap both Recreation and Legislative Services.

Anticipated benefits of this role include:

• Additional programming hosted and offered through the Old Town Hall Theatre.
• Additional staff support to assist users during rentals.
• Streamlined communications and support for Old Town Hall user inquiries.
• Additional support for facilities team to monitor building condition and required maintenance related to rentals.