The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has owned Rainbow Hall in Canora ever since it was built in 1940, has decided to put the building up for sale, said Marie Wasyliw and Dorothy Korol, church members.
The church has gone through a declining and aging membership in recent years and members recognized the need to down-size. The church doesn’t have the numbers of people needed to look after the building any more, which led to the decision to proceed with the sale.
The structure was originally built as a parish hall, and has been utilized for a wide variety of community-related events over the years.
It was originally built with a balcony where audiences could sit in comfort and watch movies. When the building was new in the early and mid 1940s, they were often Second World War movies. But times changed, and the needs of the community changed, and about 50 years ago the building was renovated. The balcony was removed and replaced by a bar, cloakroom and larger bathrooms.
In addition to movies, the hall has also been used for various other events such as weddings, parties, bingos, banquets, meetings, and concerts. These events became a good source of income for the church. Korol remembers attending a concert in Canora in the 1950s with a school group when she lived in Saskatoon.
Rainbow Hall has been utilized by dance groups and schools, including the Canora Veselka Ukrainian Dance Club.
Both federal and provincial election polls have been held at the hall on a regular basis.
Even though they know that selling is the right decision, Wasyliw said it’s going to a significant adjustment after the building is sold.
“Whenever we planned an event, we always had it at Rainbow Hall. It was always there for us almost like another home, we didn’t even have to think about it. Now, once it gets sold, we’ll have to first check if it’s even available to rent for an event, and if not, we may have to go somewhere else.”
Korol said the building has attractive features for prospective buyers, including wheelchair access, a walk-in cooler and four large gas ovens. Caterers have enjoyed working here for various events, and she expects that to continue.
Korol said she heard rumours that the hall was for sale long before the church even began formally discussing the possibility, but it has been on the market for about a month.
“We would hope the new owners would maintain it as a hall, but of course we have no way of knowing if that will be possible.”
Rainbow Hall will continue to be available for rental until it is sold, Korol and Wasyliw agreed.
