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All shows and events at Meridian Theatres at Centrepointe will be cancelled for the rest of the year and ticket holders are being offered refunds, according to the City of Ottawa, due to damage caused by the July 1st flooding.
According to the city’s release, water infiltration into the building caused “considerable damage” to the main theatre stage, front rows of seating, the studio theatre, orchestra pit, the lower studio and lobby, flooring and a grand piano.
“A timeline for development of a restoration plan, and its completion, has not yet been determined,” said in the city’s release.
The venue was set to host several shows in the back half of this year, including Frozen, Come From Away and The Stampeders.
J.T. Morris, the managing director of Orpheus Musical Theatre, said it was “a bullet to bite” when his group learned the show would not make it to opening night. The production company was set to debut Frozen at Meridian Theatres in November.
6 months of prep, derailed
While a cast had not yet been chosen, Morris said the production team of about 27 people had been hard at work on the show for six months as the group prepared to open its 120th season.
“Ottawa has hundreds of arenas, hundreds of libraries, and they’re all valuable intake services as well, but [the city] only has Meridian Theatres at Centrepointe to serve the theatre patrons and the volunteers and committing to the social and cultural fabric of our town,” he said.
“I hope the city is prepared to really invest in that theatre and support its restoration for all the people that it impacts across this town.”
The city said its slate of shows will be re-assessed this fall as restoration planning continues.
Environment Canada reported 118 millimetres of rain was recorded at the Ottawa Airport on July 1.
July 2026 has been declared Ottawa’s rainiest month on record by Environment Canada.