Keep the Love Going

Date posted: May 3, 2023

As you stroll through the lobby of the Belfry’s iconic historic building, you may find yourself drawn to the lovely space of the Nikki & Bruce MacKenzie Atrium. With stained-glass features and inviting seating areas, what used to be an outdoor courtyard was transformed during our 2017 lobby renovations.

The area bares the name of the couple who made this transformation possible and whose legacy lives on in the very theatre they loved so much. When Nikki MacKenzie passed away, her husband, Bruce, left a legacy gift in her name to the Belfry’s $1 million Capital Renovation Campaign in 2017, enabling the Belfry to create the atrium our staff and visitors enjoy so much. Bruce himself passed away not long after.

“They didn’t see this gift as charity, but as a way of investing in a community and the cultural health of a country they loved dearly,” said Matthew MacKenzie, grandson of Nikki and Bruce, and a playwright whose play Bears was performed on the Belfry stage in 2019. “I’m proud of my grandparents for their vision to make a transformative gift to a company they had championed for decades.”

The Belfry relies on the generosity of donors to continue to provide the world-class cultural experience it is known for locally in Greater Victoria and across the country. Many Canadians spend a lifetime contributing to a cause that’s close to their heart, but more and more are going one step further and including gifts to their favourite charities in their Will. 

The Belfry is proud to be part of the national campaign called Will Power. This campaign is inspiring Canadians to think differently about giving, and consider a gift to charity in their Will, in addition to making provisions for loved ones left behind.

Gifts made to the Belfry allow us to continue enriching our community and its culture, just as we’ve been doing on the South Island since 1974. From building upgrades and maintenance, to professional fees for our actors, designers, and other artists, to cultural programming and Indigenous and community relations, your gifts make everything we do possible.

To learn more about Will Power and how you can leave a gift in your Will, visit the Belfry’s Will Power webpage at: willpower.ca/charities/belfry-theatre-society/.