The old Naylor Theatre in Deseronto, Ontario, will re-open for its 125th anniversary on April 18, 2026, as the Upper Canada Opera House. Multi-award-winning Canadian band Spoons will headline the first show at the beautifully renovated venue.
The public and media are invited to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon on April 18th, at the theatre, 377 Main Street, Deseronto. Representatives from all levels of government and the community will be on hand to celebrate the achievement.
Following the official opening, there will be an open house, with tours available from 2pm to 4pm.
Doors open for the sold-out Spoons show at 6pm, with opening act Fun Comes Fast on stage at 7pm.
The full restoration and renovation is a labour of love for local entrepreneur Ian Crerar, who runs ClearWater Design Canoes and Kayak in Prince Edward County, just across the Skyway bridge from Deseronto. Crerar tried for more than 10 years to buy the theatre which was built in 1901 by James Naylor as a venue for vaudeville shows, finally succeeding with the purchase in 2025.
The abandoned building captured Crerar’s imagination from the moment he first saw it. “I had my eye on the theatre for years,” he said. “I saw the potential for an intimate, cool music venue in this old landmark.”
After its first run under Naylor’s management, the theatre was converted into a movie house in 1947. The Bayview Theatre was a beloved local landmark but had been vacant and declining since it closed its doors in 1962.
Bringing it back to life has been a lot of work, Crerar said. But fortunately, the building’s ‘bones’ were solid. “The roof was in reasonably good shape,” Crerar said. “But we dug out the rubble floor, poured concrete, installed environmentally friendly under-floor heating, reattached the water supply and drains and updated the electrical.”
Beyond the operating systems, much of the work has been focused on creating a unique concert hall. A vintage airplane hangs from the vaulted ceiling dome, a motorcycle perches on one wall, and a functioning traffic light adorns the other. Numerous guitars and other instruments punctuate the decor.
Crerar is enjoying the opportunity to reinvigorate this historic building. “Bringing this important landmark back to life after decades of decay is not only a great thing on its own, but important to revitalizing the downtown core of Deseronto,” he said.
