Queen's University benefactors Drs. Isabel and Alfred Bader and their son, Daniel, were special guests yesterday at a groundbreaking celebration for the new Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts.

Watched by more than 250 members of the Queen's and Kingston communities, Principal Daniel Woolf, Board of Trustees Chair Bill Young and the Bader family shoveled a ceremonial pile of earth at the waterfront site of the new Centre, on King Street West. Displays and entertainment for the event were provided by the university's four arts departments and the Queen's Bands.

In his remarks, Principal Woolf noted that the new centre will attract more world-class performers and students, helping to make Kingston a vibrant cultural hub for the region. "It is the culmination of a collaborative vision shared by individuals and groups from across Queen's and the wider community," he said.

Kingston Mayor Harvey Rosen, MPP John Gerretsen and AMS president Michael Ceci also spoke enthusiastically about the Centre's impact on the university and the region. Performing Arts Centre building committee chair Bob Silverman introduced Alfred Bader, and Arts and Science Dean Alistair MacLean was master of ceremonies.

With 85 per cent of the funding already in hand for the $63-million project, Dr. Bader announced that he will contribute a further $4 million if Queen's successfully raises the balance required by the end of 2010. The Baders have already donated $18 million to the new centre. The federal and provincial governments are each contributing $15 million, while the City of Kingston has provided $6 million.

For more information on the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts visit http://www.queensu.ca/badercentre/