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In the course of our daily reporting, we often uncover unusual projects, places, or connections that don't make the final cut. Instead of keeping it to ourselves, we're pleased to share our Architrivia.
As Edmonton's oldest surviving cinema since the demolition of the Gem Theatre in 2006, the Princess Theatre has a long history of ownership and programmatic changes. Vulnerable to the whims of the Canadian theatre industry and ongoing technological advancements, the building would transition from its original function to retail use in the 1960s, before returning to its roots as an arthouse cinema.
Designed by Edmonton architects Wilson and Herrald, the 660-seat theatre opened in 1915 with supplementary commercial and residential space. Boasting the largest live performance stage in a cinema west of Winnipeg — and the first building in Western Canada to be clad in marble — the building possessed modern marvels like an electric ticketing machine, two state-of-the-art projectors, and a refrigerated drinking fountain. It originally opened as the McKernan Block, bearing the name of property developer John W. McKernan, who served as the theatre's owner and manager until 1919.
The First World War had put a dent in the profits of the theatre, but money from the rental units kept the business afloat. In 1919, the McKernan family leased the theatre to Alexander Entwisle, who successfully managed a chain of vaudeville houses and cinemas on Jasper Avenue. When "talkies" arrived on the scene at the competing Capitol Theatre ten years later, the credibility of the Princess as a premier movie house began to fade, until it too upgraded its systems to enable sound.
Television's dominance as an affordable go-to choice for entertainment had a partial hand in the theatre's closure in 1958, forcing the McKernans to sell the property. The building's front entryway was converted into storefronts, the theatre was occupied by a pawnshop, the second floor gave way to a photo studio, and the third floor housed apartments. It wasn't until 1970 that the building would once again screen films, when Towne Cinema Limited rebranded the establishment as the Klondike Theatre. After frequently running afoul of the province's obscenity laws after primarily screening lewd pornographic content, which earned the theatre a rather sordid reputation.
Financially underwater, the cinema was rebranded as a repertory theatre after the Old Strathcona Foundation leased the building in 1977. With attendance steadily increasing, the Foundation purchased the building in 1982 and subsequently installed 422 plush seats. The theatre's success was fleeting however, as revenue declined sharply by the mid 1990s, partially due to the rising popularity of home video. Calgary's Brar family, who owned the Plaza Theatre there, would purchase the venue in 1996. But their tenure was short-lived — only 18 months later, it was turned over to Magic Lantern Theatres. Major renovations yielded a basement theatre with 100 seats and its own concession area. Mike Brar once again took control of the theatre in January 2016 under the umbrella of Plaza Entertainment.
As the only theatre in south Edmonton between 1915 and 1940, and one of only a small number of early theatres still remaining in the province, the stately architecture of the Princess helped emit its status as a preeminent high-class venue for entertainment.
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