My friend Larry from up Second Avenue recently sent me photographs of carpeting which exists in the North Star Trophy building. Back in 1968, when that building housed The Strand Theatre, Larry was an usher. He remembers the carpet from those days, and he wondered if I could provide some history about the building.
Any history of The Strand Theatre cannot stand alone. The story of other early theatres in Prince Albert needs to be told alongside it. So, briefly, here is the story of early theatres, most of which doubled as both venues for live theatre as well as cinemas.
The earliest cinema in Prince Albert was The Bijou Theatre, situated at 81 River Street West. At least one record suggests that it was opened in 1905. It had curtains and footlights, making it suitable for variety shows, movie equipment with a Wurlitzer organ, and fixed seating. Unfortunately, the building was not purpose-built and, as a result, the owners had difficulty receiving a business licence from the City during the years 1913 to 1915. It managed to operate, on and off, until 1920, before closing. In 1921, advertising suggested that it would re-open in the month of April. However, there was no indication of that re-opening and later in the 1920s the building was used by a company which sold merchandise from bankrupt companies. In February 1930, The Bijou was dismantled and the building materials were used to construct a dwelling on 14th Street West.
Another cinema was opened on Central Avenue in 1910. Known as The Starland Theatre, it stood on the west side of the avenue across from City Hall Park in a building which would later become the Regis Hotel (and eventually a part of the Avenue Hotel). The Starland had a stage with curtains, fixed seating on a “raked” floor, movie equipment and a Wurlitzer organ. Little is known about the operation of this theatre, or why it closed.
The Orpheum Theatre opened in 1912. Designed by the architect, Olaf Albrechtsen, it was built as both a performing arts theatre and as a movie theatre. Owned by a local business consortium including Peter W. Mahon, it remained in operation until 1976 when it was replaced by a commercial block generally referred to as the Orpheum Plaza. Through the years, besides showing movies, it was used as a performing arts venue (I recall seeing Burl Ives perform there, as well as the Royal Winnipeg Ballet), numerous political events were held there, including nominating meetings for both William Lyon MacKenzie King and John Diefenbaker, and in the1920s federal election results were shown on the movie screen as soon as they were available.
The Empress Theatre, located in the 1100 block of 1st Avenue West, opened in 1910. It was a fully equipped, purpose-built theatre with stage, a fly gallery, a complete lighting package, an orchestra pit, seating slanted gradually, balcony and boxes. William Henry Pratt (better known as Boris Karloff) is said to have honed his acting skills on the stage of The Empress. A variety of entertainments were held in this theatre, including political events, operas, and boxing matches. A fire in 1922 destroyed the majority of the theatre, although the western and eastern blocks remained functional until the building was totally demolished in 1953. The tunnel which connected the theatre to the Prince Albert Club was eventually filled in by the city in the 1980s as a safety precaution.
The Strand Theatre was originally built in 1912 and opened as The Star Theatre. It was operated by the Strand Theatre Company, of which Peter W. Mahon was president and Charles O’Connell was the secretary-treasurer with Alex Vachon as a further board member.
Located on the corner of Central Avenue and 9th Street, it had a stage with curtains and footlights, fixed raked seating, movie equipment, and a Wurlitzer organ. In 1919, the owners decided to change the name of the theatre to The Strand Theatre. It was on February 13th, 1930, when this building suffered a major fire, virtually destroying the entire structure. The work to clear the wreckage of The Strand Theatre began on February 17th, and by February 19th the debris had all been cleared away.
After the Empress Theatre fire there was much verbal support but little financial support. This resulted in a failure to rebuild the theatre. This time, P.W. Mahon, the head of the Star Theatre Company Limited was approached by several downtown business men. These included Ralph Miller of Miller Men’s Wear, Spear Miller, owner of the nearby Palace of Sweets, and Kong Kee, the owner of the Central Hotel, located across Central Avenue from The Strand, as well as T.J. Morgan. Additional property was secured from the butcher, Don France. Preferred shares were sold, and a new company under the former name, Star Theatre Company Limited, was formed with Andrew McDonald as president and P.W. Mahon as secretary and managing director.
Much of the actual construction of the new Strand was completed by the local firm Graham and Clunie, but the design was prepared by M.Z. Blankstein, a Winnipeg architect experienced in building theatres. Other out-of-town contractors included J.O. Day who did the painting and decorating, the Acme Fan and Blower Company of Winnipeg who supplied the fans and heating and ventilation. The exterior sign was provided by Toronto’s Flexlume Sign Company Limited. J.M. Rice and Company of Winnipeg installed the projectors. Plastering was completed by a Winnipeg firm, and the seats were manufactured in eastern Canada.
Local firms which played a part in the construction of the new Strand included the North Star Lumber Company, which provided many of the building materials, J.E. Lacroix who installed the electrical equipment under the supervision of the Northern Electric Company, and the Manville Hardware Company, which provided innumerable articles of hardware. Other electrical fixtures were installed by Davy Electric, and P.A. Manufacturing installed all the interior woodwork. The Wilton carpets were supplied and installed by Shnay and Tadman. The brick used in the construction of the building was made in Prince Albert by the International Clay Products Limited, with Estevan face brick was used in the Central Avenue frontage.
The Strand Theatre re-opened on Friday, September 19, 1930 with two showings of the movie “Dawn Patrol”. Leslie Paine was the manager of the theatre, with Cyril Marce and R.E. Price operating the talking picture projectors. Mrs. D. Fowlie was the cashier, and Peter Mahon Jr. and Bert Davis were the ushers.
When the former Strand was destroyed by fire, the damage was said to have amounted to $20,000. When the new Strand was opened, it was valued at over $100,000. It was truly a “palace of entertainment”. As you entered the impressive lobby, you stepped onto red carpeting. To your left was the concession area with glittering mirrors and brass fittings. A wide staircase led you up to the theatre itself, a brass railing separating the orchestra seating from the “smoking loges” which were situated over the entrance lobby. Along the walls of the theatre were ornate boxes which, although they did not have actual seating, would remind one of the ornate boxes of European theatres. These boxes had simulated house fronts with quiet lighting and curtained “windows”. A blue sky with stars and clouds passing overhead formed the ceiling of the theatre.
The Strand Theatre operated until 1978, when the Cinema 4 theatre opened on 32nd Street West. Throughout the years, it was operated by the Mahon family. The Orpheum and Strand Theatre properties were sold off, but even now members of the Mahon family own the property on which Cinema 4 was built. It is currently occupied by Giant Tiger.
fgpayton@sasktel.net
