Fusion Credit Union sponsors stage name

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This article was published 26/01/2021 (2099 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Riverbank Discovery Centre’s main stage has a new name after a deal was announced on Monday.

The Festival Park stage will now be known as Fusion Credit Union Stage, ending the search for a sponsor at the riverside outdoor entertainment venue.

“It’s very exciting. It’s something I’ve actually been working on for two and a half years,” said Brandon Riverbank Inc. general manager James Montgomery.

The initial deal is for six years, but Montgomery said he’s hopeful it can be extended beyond that.

While the organization does get funding from the City of Brandon, the province and federal government, the Riverbank Discovery Centre also needs private dollars to operate all its programs.

“(The sponsorship) is going to give us a solid footing and allow us to continue with all the positive momentum we have down here,” he said.

There were other organizations that came close to signing a deal to name the stage, but Montgomery said the COVID-19 pandemic derailed past discussions.

“There wasn’t a whole lot of interest in sponsoring an outdoor entertainment stage because of COVID, but Fusion sees beyond it and it’s an opportunity and sees it as an investment in the community and the Riverbank,” Montgomery said.

Construction on Fusion Credit Union Stage started in 2017 and opened in 2019. The performance venue can seat up to 3,000 people.

The stage was built during Phase 1 of Riverbank’s “Back to the River” master plan. The entire plan is expected to cost approximately $30 million and projects will be built when funding is available.

In pre-COVID times, the stage hosted Canada Day celebrations.

Fusion Credit Union chief operations officer Leanne DeVliegere said discussions on naming the stage first started after the Riverbank Discovery Centre applied to the credit union’s Full Circle Fund.

See ‘Deal’ — Page A2

“It’s really exciting … I love what (Montgomery) had to share with us around the number of people that use their space, so just being able to bring some of our brand awareness to that many people,” she said.

The move was also to support the Riverbank Discovery Centre and something thousands of people can use every year.

The six-year timeframe for the deal was partially in response to COVID-19, she said, and the uncertainty around large events in 2021.

In January 2020, Montgomery told a Brandon City Council meeting that money from a sponsorship deal for the stage would go toward paying back a $1-million loan used to help build it.

While Montgomery couldn’t say how much Fusion Credit Union is paying for the naming rights, he said the hope is that it will spur other private sponsorship at the Riverbank.

“It gives people hope that one day we can gather again. The Riverbank is all about celebrating together, recreation and education and recently we’ve only been able to do two out of three … but we’re really hopeful and this gives us some reason to hope,” he said.

The main building at the Riverbank Discovery Centre is currently closed to the public, but Montgomery said they are still offering curbside pickup and Brandon Tourism can give out maps and visitor guides.

» dmay@brandonsun.com

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