Wednesday, March 13, 2013

more chilliwack news...

The  Paramount Theatre has been a fixture in our city since before my time.   Going to the movie theatre wasn't something that happened in my childhood home...so I never paid much attention to our theatre until I was in my late teens.  Then I went on occasion...to the likes of Ben Hur, Nicholas and Alexandra, Butch Cassidy and the Sun Dance Kid, and the Poseidon Adventure.  Historical, educational...productions based on real life events.  It was a grand old theatre...with a large balcony...back in the day.



(photo credit Ian Meissner)

On Sunday we drove through the old part of our city...and got a bit of a surprise.  Oh, we knew it was coming...just not when.


The forever fixture is being demolished.  Where the theatre once stood...were a few concrete walls, some steel supports and a pile of rubble.  We pulled into the parking lot behind the building...and thought for a moment we were at a drive-in theatre.  Cars were coming and going...parking for a time just to have a look. Some had their camera.  We visited with those who were parked next to us...and reminisced.



 
(photo credit ~  Chilliwack Museum)

When the Paramount Theatre first opened on June 9, 1949 it was billed as being 'completely ultra-modern, including the modern miracle of air conditioning, soft restful spring chairs, sound installation and a popcorn and candy bar in the lobby.'  It accommodated six hundred and eight people on the first floor with another 292 on the balcony level.  It had a sloped floor and high screen and it was boasted that even the shortest theatre-goer would be able to see over the tall lady with the high hat in front of them.

On November 3, 2010 the Paramount Theatre closed its doors for the last time.   After 61 years...it could no longer compete with the new multi-plex theatres on the outskirts of town.  Landmark Cinemas donated the theatre and the property to the city of Chilliwack.  Though it seemed like a generous gift at the time...it was soon discovered that to refurbish and restore the old theatre would would not be the fiscally responsible thing to do.  The tax payers would not say 'thank-you'.  Last summer our city council voted (6-1) to demolish the old buildingSo now we will  have to wait and see what the future holds for that site. 

Though The Paramount is gone...we have our memories.  And some even have theatre seating as a souvenir...complete with popcorn stains and old chewing gum.  The seats were given away...in sets of four...by way of random draw from all who applied.  My name was not in the hat...though I considered it throwing it in.
 


We carried on past the demolition site...and went for lunch at another lovely old spot in our city. The Royal Hotel has been in business for over a hundred years...and served up wonderful Chinese food back in the day. For many decades I had not entered the building...but in the recent past we have been there for lunch several times.  The Royal Cafe is under new management...and is a nice new/old place to go.

Thanks for joining me today on a tour of my historical hometown. 
 

18 comments:

  1. I always love to wander the streets of your hometown - ever since the first time, when we visited the Royal Hotel. Chilliwack has a nice feel to it, with so many interesting shops still in business. Thanks for the tour!

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  2. Oh what a shame that it had to come down. No way for it to ever be a draw again in some other capacity? Mercifully, here in town, we have a contractor who buys up the old buildings (for a song and including the old hotel) and refurbishes them to their former glory days. He did find one that he knocked down, which got him in a fair amount of trouble as it was considered a historical site. Sometimes it's best to do what must be done and beg forgiveness later. I enjoyed seeing "downtown." You rarely show it. I don't think that I've ever shown our downtown either.

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  3. Old movie theatres are closing here too but some are being made over and used for other purposes. The Gaity Theatre in downtown Fredericton still has it's familiar front, minus the sign, and is used as a business. I don't know what happened to the seating etc though. In Moncton, where I'm from, the Capitol Theatre has been restored to it's former glory with beautifully painted walls and ceilings. It is used for concerts etc. and a popular spot. The old hotel in your downtown is interesting and looks like an inn. Is there a Five Corners in your downtown? I seem to remember something like that. Thanks for sharing the photos and memories.

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  4. Good memories! Our old theatre came down last summer..kind of sad to see it go.

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  5. It's fun to see these old theaters whenever we drive through an old established town. The hotel seems quite charming...I wouldn't associate Chinese food with it, though. :)

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  6. I love that old 50's photo! I wonder what we would do if we all had to go back in to a time like that? Was life simpler or harder with less gadgets to do the work for us?

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  7. Your hometown has a cute and compact historical downtown. Fun to explore. But things change all the time, don't they/

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  8. Judy, our movie theatre closed about 3 years ago. It is in our civic centre (built during the depression), along with the old hockey rink (now replaced), a gymnasium and some meeting rooms. At one time the library was there, too. Our city council has just leased the space to a local group who have lots of enthusiasm and energy, who are renovating it into 3 smaller theatres. The original would seat over 700. They have just begun, but we had a gala opening a couple of weeks ago, when the James Bond film Skyfall was shown to a full house (there are currently 250 seats in the section that will be housing the largest of the 3 venues). It was a treat to see the "bones" of the old theatre.

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    1. Lorne...so glad you were able to rescue your old theatre and renovate it. There were many plans out there to do that with ours as well...but no one had the financial backing to do it. So in the end...it came down.

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  9. Thank you Judy, I enjoyed the tour. And the historic photo too.

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  10. This is before my time but apparently my family lived in the firehall that shared a back lane with the hotel. According to the family tales, when the Chinese cooks would take their breaks my older brother would toddle across the lane to join them and share their lunch. I really enjoyed this post and can't help but feel a tad sad at the loss of these great old buildings. Thanks for sharing.

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  11. That will seem really strange for some time I guess...seeing a gap where there should be a cinema :)We have an art deco cinema in our twon which was renovated back to its former glory some years back. I love the old hotel, that quilt hanging on the wall looks wonderful. I also love the name of your town :)

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  12. Oh the memories and the kahuffel it caused. People from the church were not allowed to go inside. Apparently deacons would stand from afar and report any incidents. Glad those days are gone. I love the new cinemas...No sticky floors.

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  13. So sad to see these old buildings come down! Your Royal Hotel looks lovely and I'm glad it still stands today. Thanks for the wee tour of Chilliwack!!!

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  14. What a shame to lose this beautiful landmark, but the same thing is happening in most towns, I'm afraid. I'm glad your historic hotel is surviving!

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  15. We went by Sunday afternoon as well. I was shocked to see how much was actually gone. Downtown is going to look so different when that building is gone.

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  16. Old taken down...new replacing it. We find it happening here in our part of the world too. It saddens me when I personally visited the old. Your historic landmark sure must have been grand in it's day. I do like though when like the hotel you mentioned, when someone lovingly restores the old to a beautiful new. Thanks to you and your blog, Chilliwack is now a name I recognize. Great pictures!

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  17. It was so weird to drive past the Paramount and not see the landmark sign, but a pile of rubble instead. So glad you have the old pics for 'memory lane' tours! Say hi to the 'brother/prince' for me". And I didn't know that Canton Gardens started in the Royal, I learn something new on your tours every time!

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'The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.'
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson