Canada's longest-running movie theatre has been restored to its former glory

Maybe it's the towering red velvet curtains that adorn the stage. Or the blue peacock-themed murals on the venue's walls that date back to the 1920s. But every time 89-year-old Stewart Alsgard steps inside the iconic Patricia Theatre in Powell River, B.C., eight decade's worth of nostalgia overwhelms him.

"I'm standing in this auditorium and I'm looking around and it comes back to me," recalls Alsgard, the former mayor of Powell River.

In 1941, he experienced his first movie, The Wizard of Oz, at the Patricia. The price of admission then was 15 cents, and the films were just transitioning from black and white to colour. The war may have been going on, but the charming theatre on the corner of Ash and Marine avenues offered an escape from the chaos and hopelessness of the outside world. Even for a six-year-old Alsgard. 

"When you're much younger and smaller, these big buildings seem huge in comparison to what perhaps they are," he says. "But the design of this particular theatre, it really hasn't changed in any geometric way or architectural way whatsoever."

Nor has its foothold in the community changed much. The original Patricia Theatre opened just down the street in 1913, making it the longest-running movie theatre in Canada. The current location is now just four years shy of a century old. It is the only cinema in the sleepy but growing city of about 14,000 people on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast. Unless you are willing to embark on a long journey via ferry or float plane to Vancouver or Victoria to enjoy a blockbuster from a reclining leather seat, you will have to settle for the Patricia's simple, time-honoured charms. 

There is a single screen with one movie showing per evening. The concession stand in the corner of the lobby offers barely more than sodas, popcorn and a small assortment of candy. The Patricia was just recently upgraded with air conditioning, and until three years ago, when the historic venue changed ownership, the theatre was cash-only. 

But most locals appreciate the character over the bells and whistles of a modern cinema.

"I don't know if there are any movie theatres left that are original, beautiful heritage theatres," says Wendy Twomey, a Powell River resident. "It's a totally different experience than going to a megaplex that's carved into six little theatres."

Which megaplex will encourage panel discussions after special showings or host Oscar parties? How many cinemas have a second-floor apartment for their owner? And, how many theatres across Canada are said to be haunted? (Employees working late report hearing strange voices and there are stories about a torture-loving dentist.) The urban legends about the Patricia are as compelling as the movies they show.

The Patricia is also a sacred destination that has preserved the community fabric and become the backdrop for multiple generations of movie lovers. The people who watched Paul Newman's The Hustler at the Patricia when it premiered in 1961 might now be taking their grandkids or great grandkids there to see Inside Out 2. Visitors from Canada's East Coast and as far as Germany and Japan have made the trek over the years to Powell River specifically to see the theatre. 

"We believe in the importance of the communal experience at the theatre — coming in and meeting with people you don't know, experiencing it together and then talking about the film afterward," says Gary Shilling, the executive director for the qathet Film Society, which overtook management of the theatre in 2021.

However, surviving the times has not come without a flurry of close calls. The most recent being the rise of streaming services. "The movie theatre business is kind of in trouble right now," says Shilling. 

In 2021, former owner Ann Nelson was 80 years old and her failing knees could no longer endure the stairs, so she retired at the peak of the pandemic. The condition of the theatre had declined, and audiences were demanding a better facility. Meanwhile, large distributing conglomerates were pressuring theatre management to upgrade to a digital system — not a cheap request, Shilling remarks.

"That was when the community stepped up [and] we raised $100,000," he says. With the donations, the film society was able to purchase a state-of-the-art digital projection system, a Dolby sound system, new acoustical panels, central air conditioning and modern seats with extra cushioning and cup holders. 

"This is our only theatre and we have to make sure that it's around," says Twomey, a longtime supporter who attends more than 30 screenings at the Patricia a year and has been a consistent donor. "People can't take it for granted. We have to support it."

Part of modernizing the Patricia also goes beyond the physical renovations. The community and the qathet Film Society have been working to repair strained relationships with the local Indigenous community. (CBC's On the Island spoke to the Patricia Theatre's Laura Wilson about this topic back in March.) 

From the Second World War up until the early 1970s, Indigenous peoples from the Tla'amin Nation were treated like second-class citizens in Powell River, Alsgard says. At the Patricia, Indigenous children and adults were segregated, forced to wait in the alley behind the theatre while non-Indigenous residents filled the seats. Then, once everyone else had been admitted, Indigenous movie-goers were only permitted to watch from the cramped balcony.

"When the film ended, they weren't allowed to go down and out the main entrance, as we were," remembers Alsgard. "No, they went out the fire escape, back down into the alley and to make themselves scarce."

The efforts of reconciliation, started by Nelson, have included an annual Indigenous film festival as well as the involvement of elders and Indigenous residents in the theatre's programming. 

"We're very committed to reparation and the reparation of the theatre's role in supporting colonial oppression of Indigenous peoples," Shilling says.

In July, the Patricia re-opened after a month-long renovation. Of course, the grand re-opening party featured a classic, Singin' in the Rain, starring the legendary Gene Kelly, before returning later that month to newly released blockbusters, like Despicable Me 4 and Deadpool and Wolverine. New speakers blended in with the majestic murals. A sea of fresh red seats lined the floor and the balcony. Even the gold leaves on top of the stage looked shinier. 

"I couldn't get over how beautiful it still is and how it kept all of the original feeling of a beautiful old theatre but with all the comfort and everything we all want nowadays," says Twomey.

It is that balance between old and new that the owners will continue to tinker with. They refuse to implement interactive cell phone games during previews. They don't run ads. However, Shilling is considering a full revamp of the concession stand, including adding tacos and new flavours of popcorn (recent market research is pushing him to do so).

"They said that in Europe, sweet popcorn is what everybody does," he says. "So, we're gonna have to up our game."

Whatever it takes, says Twomey, be it tacos, different popcorn or a new digital projector. Just don't strip this artsy community of their one constant source for memories, connection and entertainment.

"I cannot live without a theatre," Twomey says.