📈 Gaining momentum...

It’s been quite a while since I last posted an update, which could reasonably be interpreted as a sign that there’s nothing new to report. The truth is almost the opposite. There has been sooooo much going on (holiday break included) that writing an update kept slipping down the priority list.

So, with apologies, I’m going to use point form to bring you up to speed. Here are some of the more significant things that have happened since the last update:

• Opened a bank account with Valley First
• Set up a Stripe account
• Received our first direct donations through the website 🎉
• Prepared a funding pitch deck for CFSOS
• Prepared our CRA application for charitable status
• Made presentations to both the Rotary Club of Penticton and the Penticton Sunrise Rotary Club
• Prepared a new floor plan for the venue
• Did a "crash course" in acoustic planning, including stage design, room treatment, and sound control
• Undertook a major website overhaul, including substantial behind-the-scenes improvements
• Commenced the process of applying for a liquor-primary licence
• Began drafting a policy manual to establish clear governance, membership, and operating frameworks
• Re-branded as The Dream, with the tagline Music Lives Here

That last point on re-branding deserves a bit of explanation.

When the venue reopens, it won’t be called The Dream Café. This was not an easy decision. We spent a lot of time weighing the advantages and disadvantages of retaining the original name, and there were compelling arguments on both sides. In the end, though, the balance tipped toward starting fresh.

The new name is very much a nod to the venue’s history and to the many people who worked hard to keep it alive for 24 years. At the same time, it signals something equally important: this is a new chapter. Same spirit. Same room. But a clear beginning, and a clear sense of where we’re headed.

What’s Next

The coming months will be about turning planning into commitments.

First and most importantly, we need to finalize and sign a lease. Everything else flows from that.

Once a lease is in place, we will:

• Submit our CRA charitable status application, which requires a lease be in place
• Finalize the floor plan, stamped by an architect, so we can:
• Advance the liquor-primary licence application
• Obtain accurate quotes from general contractors for the renovation work

Each of these steps unlocks the next, and while none of them are trivial, they’re all now clearly in view. Momentum feels like the right word.