Cue the music Massey Hall to get additional $8M for overhaul

Massey Hall is set to get an additional $8 million from the federal government to help fund renovations.

Mlanie Joly, the minister of Canadian heritage, made the announcement Friday, saying the investment will help create jobs and strengthen the economy.

The funding will also help ensure the iconic music venue remains "a home to showcase and cultivate our future leaders in arts, culture and beyond," saidDeane Cameron, President andCEO of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall.

The venue near Victoria and Shuterstreets opened in 1894 and can hold more than 2,700 people. It was designated as a National History Site of Canada in 1981.

The long list of artists who have graced its 123-year-old stage reads like a modern history book of music from Igor Stravinsky to Oscar Peterson, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell to Justin Bieber.

• Massey Hall revitalization begins
• Massey Hall federal grant earmarked for foundation, loading dock

In 2013, the federal budget included a commitment of $8 million for the venue's revitalization. That same year theprovince of Ontario said it would also commit $8 million to help begin the process. The Massey Hall Revitalization project was officially launched in 2015 at a projected cost of $139 million.