Colleen Smith joined the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre five years ago convinced she was about to start her dream job.

Instead, the new chief executive officer watched the St. Catharines venue go dark as the pandemic shut live entertainment down across the globe. No shows. No crowds. Just heartache.

This week, the dream job was back in play as the building announced its 10th anniversary season with a gala event Thursday night.

“We get to these milestones, you get to a certain point, and you want to celebrate,” she says. “You want to thank people, you want to bring the best that you can to the stage.

“This is the best job I’ve ever had. The work we do here is fantastic.”

From a handful of virtual shows when she started, Smith now oversees a season which will see more than 60 shows

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