After 10 years of trying, Theatre Orangeville got its first Canada Arts Council grant this year for the 2009/10 season.

Artistic Director David Nairn has submitted applications for the grants every year during his entire time here at the theatre.

"There is an annual theatre managers' conference and up 'til now, we were the only professional theatre not receiving the grant," he said in an interview.

"There was a perception that we are part of the GTA but we are not," Mr. Nairn said. "We made the choice not to be part of the GTA. We are a very distinct society."

Although at $25,000 the grant is not large, relatively speaking, it is still quite a lot of money and "the likelihood of continued support is strong," Mr. Nairn remarked.

"It is not just the money that's important, it is more the support, the understanding that this is one of the premier artistic communities in the country."

The fact of the grant is very important for the recognition it gives to the whole community's contribution to the national art scene.

Over the years, there have been many efforts made to entice the Council to make this grant. One year, Mr. Nairn said, 5,000 signatures were delivered.

Now that it has come in, Mr. Nairn's remarked enthusiastically, that it is a "huge" boost.

He said he got the heads-up that the grant was to be made in a voice-mail message.

"I still have that message," he said. "When I heard it, I burst into tears."