It was a very busy month of January for the Friends of the Caisse, formerly known as the Bracebridge Arts Council.

Coun. Andrew Struthers, who represents council on the organization, said the good news is that the Friends of the Caisse were able to purchase a host of new equipment. Struthers said the Orillia Opera House is currently in the process of upgrading, and the Caisse was able to pick up used technical equipment for a very reasonable price.

On the downside, Struthers reports that the roof of the theatre, which is technically owned by the Trillium Lakelands District School Board, is leaking all over their equipment. To make matters worse, the curtains on stage no longer meet fire code and it's expected to cost some $12,000 to get ones that are up to standard.

The Friends of the Caisse have been pushing the School Board to take action but Struthers admitted that’s a challenge as the Board is currently embroiled in the province-wide teacher’s strike.