Ottawa

Ottawa

Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

Name	Location	Dates	Screens	Notes	Image
Airport Drive-In	near Uplands Rd.	1970–1995	3	It opened on May 15, 1970 and closed around 1995. It had 3 screens and could hold approximately 1160 cars. It has been torn down and is now a national airport parking service lot.
Aladdin Drive-In	4004 Albion Rd.	1949–1995	1	It had room for approximately 480 cars. It is now an empty field.
AMC Kanata	801 Kanata Avenue Kanata, ON K2T 1E7	2001-	24	It is the only AMC AMC Theatres AMC Theatres , officially known as AMC Entertainment, Inc., is the second largest movie theater chain in North America with 5,325 screens, second only to Regal Entertainment Group, and one of the United States's four national cinema chains AMC Theatres (American Multi-Cinema), officially known as...  cinema in Ottawa and the largest theatre with 24 screens.
Auto Sky Drive-In	Fisher and Baseline Rd.	1949–1981		After the drive-in closed, a housing development was built on the vacant land.
The Avalon	Bank Street Bank Street (Ottawa) Bank Street is the major north-south road in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It runs south from Wellington Street in downtown Ottawa, south through the neighbourhoods of Centretown, The Glebe, Old Ottawa South, Alta Vista, Hunt Club, and then through the villages of Blossom Park, Leitrim, South...  in the Glebe The Glebe The Glebe is a neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located just south of Ottawa's downtown area, with its northern border being demarcated by the Queensway highway. It is bounded by the Rideau Canal to the south and east. Many maps show the western edge as Bronson Avenue, but some also...	1928–1956	1	November 17, 1928-July 1947. The Avalon had 876 seats. Renamed Glebe August 22, 1947-October 17, 1956. Now a hardware store.
Barrhaven Cinemas Cineplex Odeon Cineplex Odeon Cineplex Odeon Corporation was one of North America's largest movie theatre operators, with theatres in its home country of Canada and the United States...	131 Riocan Avenue, Barrhaven ON, K2J 5G5		7	Opened Oct. 21, 2005.
Bennett's Vaudeville Theatre	Sparks Street Sparks Street Sparks Street is a street in downtown Ottawa, Canada that was converted into an outdoor pedestrian street in 1966, making it the earliest such street or mall in North America....  just west of Bank		1	In 1907, it became the first place in Ottawa to regularly show films.
Britannia Drive-In		1949–1996	2	It was the last Drive-In in Ottawa when it closed in 1996. The Coliseum is built on its location.
Britannia 6	3090 Carling Ave.	1977–1998	6	The theatre and its parking lot were built on the land between the street and the back side of the screen for the Britannia Drive-In. The building was torn down after the Coliseum opened.
Bytowne Cinema ByTowne Cinema The ByTowne Cinema is a one screen repertory movie theatre located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1947, the cinema is one of Ottawa's oldest movie theatres and the city's main venue for independent and foreign films...	325 Rideau St. Ottawa, ON K1N 5Y4 just east of King Edward Avenue	1947-	1	It opened in 1947 as the Nelson Cinema. Since 1988, it has been Ottawa's main venue for foreign and independent films. In 1999, the seats from the Capitol Square Cinemas were installed.
Capitol Cinema Capitol Cinema (Ottawa) The Capitol Cinema was the largest movie theatre ever built in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and was the city's only true movie palace. Opened in 1920, the 2530-seat cinema was regarded as one of the best cinemas designed by famed theatre-architect Thomas W...	90 Bank St.	1920–1970	1	Originally opened as Loews Theatre, the Capitol was Ottawa's largest and most ornate cinema for many decades. It opened in 1920 and was demolished in 1970. it had approximately 2,528 seats, the most ever for an Ottawa theatre. Live theatrical productions (e.g. A Midsummer Night's Dream) and live musical performances such as Louis Armstrong, the Who (Bootleg recording on October 15, 1969 is around), the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Jimi Hendrix and Cream (among many others) took place on its stage. Its auditorium was often used for political conventions. In 1964 there were plans to split it into 2 screens but this never happened. When the National Arts Centre was built, there was no longer any need for the Capitol's stage and auditorium to be used for live theatre or concerts.
Capitol Square	230 Queen Street	1972–1999	3	The Capitol Square 3 opened around 1972 and closed in 1999. It was operated by Famous Players.
Coliseum Ottawa	3090 Carling Avenue, Ottawa ON, K2B 7K2	1996-	12	Originally owned by Famous Players, this was Ottawa's first modern megaplex when it opened in 1996.
Eastview Theatre	Montreal Road (on same site as the Vanier Cinema)	Closed as a cinema in the 1950s, the building was used as a post office and then as an electrical parts store until demolished in the 1960s to be replaced in the 1970s by the building that housed the Vanier Cinema.
Elgin Theatre Elgin Theatre (Ottawa) The Elgin Theatre was a historic movie theatre located at the corner of Lisgar and Elgin Street in Ottawa, Canada. The 750 seat cinema opened in 1937, with the first film shown being Stand-In. For several decades it was one of Ottawa's premier theatres, and in 1947 it was the location of the world...	Elgin and Lisgar	1937–1994	1, later 2	The Elgin opened in 1937 and 10 years later, a second theatre named the Little Elgin was opened next to it in the same building. Before closing in 1994, the two theatres were called the Elgin 1 and Elgin 2. The Elgin/Little Elgin was the first twin movie theatre in Canada.
Elmdale Theatre	Wellington Street Wellington Street (Ottawa) Wellington Street is an important street in Ottawa, Canada most notable for being one of the first two streets laid out in Bytown in 1826 Wellington Street (French: Rue Wellington) is an important street in Ottawa, Canada most notable for being one of the first two streets laid out in Bytown in...  in Westboro	1947–1994	1	It opened on September 9, 1947 and was twinned (bowling-alley style) on October 23, 1981. It closed on August 25, 1994. It is now a church of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World congregation.
Empire 7 Empire Theatres Empire Theatres Limited is the second-largest movie theatre chain in Canada, and the only major circuit operating in Atlantic Canada. A subsidiary of Empire Company Ltd., the family-owned parent of the Sobeys supermarket chain presently owns and operates 51 locations in 8 of 10 provinces, from...	World Exchange Plaza World Exchange Plaza The World Exchange Plaza is a building in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The first phase of the project was completed in 1991. It covers an entire city block between Metcalfe and O'Connor south of Queen Street. The twenty-storey building was unusual in Ottawa for its visual flair. The eastern...  111 Albert Street, 3rd Floor, Ottawa, ON K1P 1A5	1990-	7	Opened 1991, Expanded 1994. Plays a mix of main stream and independent films.
Français Theatre	On the West side of Dalhousie Street between George Street and York Street.			R. E. Maynard owned the Français, which had 999 seats. It was very popular with the kids during Saturday afternoon performances. They called the theatre “Frog”. It served as Ottawa's French language cinema until the 1960s when it was closed for repairs for many years and eventually demolished to make way for the construction of a Holiday Inn.
Gloucester Five	Gloucester Centre, 1980 Ogilvie Road	Closed in late March 2001.	5	Each of this cinema's auditoriums was named instead of numbered. According to an article in the Ottawa Citizen of March 21, 2001, the Gloucester Five's closure was largely due to its proximity to Silvercity Gloucester.
Imperial Theatre	Bank Street	1914-1950s		Is today home to Barrymore's Barrymore's Barrymore's Music Hall is a nightclub and concert venue, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.The club was first opened in 1978, in the city's former Imperial Theatre on Bank Street... .
Linden Theatre	Beechwood Avenue near Creighton Street.			Became the Towne Cinema in the 1970s and was eventually converted into a sports equipment store and then a drug store. For 25 cents on weekends, one could see five movies (usually horror, comedy or western).
Mall Theatre	116 Sparks Street	1915–1973	1	Originally The Centre Theatre which had 998 seats. It had no stairs to reach the upper seats, just ramps. During the second World War, an royal box was set up for Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, which was occupied by Nazi Germany. In June 1968 the theatre was renamed Mall and shown adult movies.
Mayfair Theatre Mayfair Theatre The Mayfair Theatre is Ottawa's oldest active movie theatre, operating since 1932. It operates as an independent repertory cinema. The theatre's programming includes independent, second-run and classic films....	Bank St. in Old Ottawa South Old Ottawa South Old Ottawa South is an older urban neighbourhood in Ottawa, Canada. As of the Canada 2006 Census, 8,168 people lived in Old Ottawa South, a relatively small and compact neighbourhood, located between the Rideau Canal and the Rideau River . The eastern boundary is defined by Riverdale Avenue and...	1932-	1	Today it is Ottawa's premier venue for second run films. It has gradually phased out its repertoire programming over the years, but still continues its tradition of screening the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show The Rocky Horror Picture Show The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the... every Halloween Halloween Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day... .
Mayfair Theatre Orleans Mayfair Theatre The Mayfair Theatre is Ottawa's oldest active movie theatre, operating since 1932. It operates as an independent repertory cinema. The theatre's programming includes independent, second-run and classic films....	250 Centrum Blvd, Orleans Orléans, Ontario Orleans , also written Orléans, is a suburban area within the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the eastern part of the city along the Ottawa River, about from downtown Ottawa. The Canada 2006 Census gave Orleans a population of 95,491. It became a ward of the City of Ottawa in 2001...	2011-	3	Opened December 2011; the facility was originally the Empire Six Orleans.
Odeon Theatre	on West side of Bank Street between Slater Street and Laurier Avenue.			A coal gas explosion in an office building behind the Odeon happened on October 25, 1958 killing 2 and destroying the back end of the theatre only hours before the cinema was to have been filled with Ottawa children for a Saturday morning of films for school safety patrols. As many as 600 could be killed had this been a working day.
Phoenix	413 Bank Street	Closed in 1991	1	Operated by Cineplex Odeon, this theatre specialized in foreign films such as La historia official The Official Story The Official Story is a 1985 Argentine drama film directed by Luis Puenzo, and written by Puenzo and Aída Bortnik. It stars Norma Aleandro, Héctor Alterio, and Chunchuna Villafañe, among others. In the United Kingdom, it was released as The Official Version.The film is about an upper middle class... . The theatre was demolished shortly after it closed, and has been a gravel parking lot ever since (see Rialto listing below). Also known as Clarey and Fern.
Place de Ville	Place de Ville Place de Ville Place de Ville is a complex of office towers in downtown Ottawa. It currently consists of four buildings, Place de Ville A, B, and C, and the 'Podium' building, two large hotels, and the city's largest underground parking garage. The buildings are linked by an underground shopping complex... 's underground shopping complex	1971–1996	2	Operated by Famous Players. According to an Ottawa Citizen article of August 14, 1999, these theatres still exist but remain empty and unused. This fall (2010) the former cinema space will be occupied by an exhibition company and public exhibits such as the Titanic and Body works will be on display.
Queensway Drive-In	Rainbow St. and Montreal Rd.	1964-c. 1985	2	Operated by Odeon. Now the site of an industrial park.
Rainbow Cinemas Rainbow and Magic Lantern Cinemas Rainbow Cinemas and Magic Lantern Theatres operate movie theatres across Canada. The Rainbow Cinemas chain was founded in the 1990s in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, while the Magic Lantern Theatres chain was founded in 1984 in Edmonton, Alberta...	St. Laurent Shopping Centre St. Laurent Shopping Centre St. Laurent Shopping Centre is a major shopping centre located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada owned and operated by Morguard REIT. The shopping mall is located just north of Highway 417 at the corner of St. Laurent Boulevard and Coventry Road. It opened its doors in 1967.St...	1967-	5	A second run theater in the St. Laurent Shopping Centre. This five-screen cinema, originally opened as a single screen cinema, known as the St. Laurent Theatre, opened in 1967 and was a first run cinema. It was later converted to two screens and later to five screens, by taking over unoccupied space in the St. Laurent Shopping Centre. It was closed in 2001 and reopened as the Rainbow in 2005.
Regent Theatre	Bank and Sparks	1916–1972	1	Currently the site of the Bank of Canada Bank of Canada The Bank of Canada is Canada's central bank and "lender of last resort". The Bank was created by an Act of Parliament on July 3, 1934 as a privately owned corporation. In 1938, the Bank became a Crown corporation belonging to the Government of Canada...  complex. In 1928 became the first theatre in Ottawa to play films with sound. It had 1056 seats.
Rexy Theatre	136 Lorne St. / 777 Somerset St. W.	Closed		Opened as the Rex Theatre in 1914, in one of Ottawa's blue-collar neighbourhoods west of downtown, this theatre had the unusual distinction of being located on a residential side street. Originally a small 300-seat nickelodeon, in 1927 it was renamed Rexy Theatre and completely remodelled into an atmospheric theatre. Seating was then expanded to 750 and a new front entrance was added on the main Somerset Street West, through the purchase of a retail space in an adjacent building. It catered to the neighbourhood with B-movies and kids' serials until TV took its toll. The Rexy Theatre closed in 1954 and was demolished in 1956. The entrance was moved to 777 Somerset West in 1925.
Rialto	413 Bank Street	1943–1991	1	Opened by Odeon Theatres. Through the 1970s it fell into hard times, and was known colloquially as "the Rat Hole" due to a rodent infestation. It was purchased by Cineplex Odeon, renamed "The Phoenix," closed and quickly demolished in 1991. At the time of writing (2009) it is still an empty lot on Bank Street.
Rideau Centre	Rideau Centre Rideau Centre Rideau Centre is a three-level shopping centre on Rideau Street in Downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It borders on Rideau Street , the Rideau Canal, the Mackenzie King Bridge, and Nicholas Street....	1983-	3	Originally owned by Famous Players and today run by Empire Empire Theatres Empire Theatres Limited is the second-largest movie theatre chain in Canada, and the only major circuit operating in Atlantic Canada. A subsidiary of Empire Company Ltd., the family-owned parent of the Sobeys supermarket chain presently owns and operates 51 locations in 8 of 10 provinces, from...  this theatre is located on the top level of the Rideau Centre Rideau Centre Rideau Centre is a three-level shopping centre on Rideau Street in Downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It borders on Rideau Street , the Rideau Canal, the Mackenzie King Bridge, and Nicholas Street.... , and programmes movies aimed at the teenage demographic.
Rideau Theatre	160 Rideau St.	1915–1982	1	Located on Rideau Street immediately to the west of where Dalhousie St. once ended. The building still stands and is divided into various retail stores. The long rectangular lobby of the Rideau Theatre was originally the Palace Theatre. The Palace Theatre became the lobby of the Rideau Theatre when a new auditorium was built behind the original Palace Theatre.
SilverCity Gloucester	2385 City Park Drive, Gloucester ON, K1J 1G1		16	Located in the city's east end this modern megaplex has 16 screens including one IMAX IMAX IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...  cinema and two Real D Real D Cinema RealD Cinema is a digital stereoscopic projection technology made and sold by RealD Inc. It is currently the most widely used technology for watching 3-D films in theatres.-Technology:...  "3-D" projectors. One of Canada's busiest theatres by attendance. Owned and operated by Cineplex LP.
Somerset Theatre	386 Somerset St. Somerset Street (Ottawa) Somerset Street is a street in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is divided into Somerset Street East and Somerset Street West by the Rideau Canal.-Somerset Street East:...  west of Bank St.	1937–2000	1	It was demolished soon after to accommodate an expansion of a supermarket and its parking complex.
South Keys	2214 Bank Street, Ottawa ON, K1V 1J6	1995-	12	A modern multiplex built by Cineplex Odeon Cineplex Odeon Cineplex Odeon Corporation was one of North America's largest movie theatre operators, with theatres in its home country of Canada and the United States...  in the city's south end. This is the first theatre in the Ottawa with Stadium seating; This is the only multiplex cinema in Canada that show movies from 10 AM every day.
Star-Top Drive-In	1400 Cyrville Rd	1949–1975		Opened in 1951 on Cyrville Road. It closed in 1974.
Strand Theatre	1265 Bank St	1950–1954	1	After closing it became a bingo parlour, which was demolished in 2002 and replaced by a donut shoppe. AKA Flower Theatre
Vanier Cinema	Vanier		7	This Cineplex Odeon theatre was located in a small shopping mall. It was a second-run theatre before closing in the mid 1990s.
Westboro Theatre	381 Richmond Rd			Now home to the Chinese Bible Church.
Westgate Cinema	Carling Ave	1980–1999	3	The theatre showed first run movies for most of its existence and second run movies for two dollars before it closed in 1999. Currently occupied by a software development company that still uses one of the cinemas for meetings and presentations.

Outaouais

• Cinema 9 - Opened in the mid 1990s, this 9-screen theater plays usually the French version of movies since StarCite in Hull was opened. Located at the corner of Boulevard Maloney & De l'Hopital beside the former City Hall
  City hall
  In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
  
   of the old city of Gatineau.

• Cinema Place-Cartier 119 Place du Portage in Hull. Opened in 1937, it was the grandest cinema in the Outaouais. It was sold by Famous Players in 1968 and became an adult pornography theatre before it was purchased by the City of Hull in order to put it out of business in 1991. Currently the offices of a training company.

• Cine-Starz Located inside Les Promenades de l'Outaouais
  Les Promenades de l'Outaouais
  Les Promenades de l'Outaouais is a major shopping centre located in Canada's National Capital Region. It is located in the city of Gatineau near the intersection of Greber and Maloney Boulevards, one of the city's busiest intersections and just off Autoroute 50.It is considered to be the second...
  
   shopping centre. A 4-screen theater is located inside the shopping centre.

• Cinema Vendôme 425 Boul St Joseph in Hull. It was an exploitation grindhouse
  Grindhouse
  A grindhouse is an American term for a theater that mainly shows exploitation films. It is named after the defunct burlesque theaters located on 42nd Street in New York City, where 'bump n' grind' dancing and striptease were featured.- History :...
  
   before closing in the early 1980s.

• Pussycat Cinema Directly across the street from the Vendôme, at 424 Boul St Joseph in Hull, this pornography cinema also closed at about the same time.

• Cinema l'Amour 569 Boul St Joseph in Hull. It was an adult pornography theatre before closing in the early 1980s.

• Cinema de Paris 185 rue Laval in Hull. An independent neighbourhood theatre, opened in 1949, that screened films from Europe in French only. In later years it screened mainstream Hollywood films dubbed into French, including each of the original Star Wars
  Star Wars
  Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
  
   trilogy. It was shuttered in 1986 and stayed closed for ten years before reopening as an assisted living
  Assisted living
  Assisted living residences or assisted living facilities provide supervision or assistance with activities of daily living ; coordination of services by outside health care providers; and monitoring of resident activities to help to ensure their health, safety, and well-being.Assistance may...
  
   complex called Mon Chez Nous.

• Cine-Parc Templeton - Drive-through theater located at 1779 Boulevard Maloney near the Gatineau Airport in the city's east end. Opened in the early 1990s, it has 2 screens, one in French and the other in English.

• Galeries Aylmer
  Aylmer, Quebec
  Aylmer is a former city in Quebec, Canada. It became a sector of the City of Gatineau on January 1, 2002. Located on the Ottawa River and Route 148 it is a part of the National Capital Region. The population in 2006 was 41 882 — approx. 16% of Gatineau...
  
  - Located inside the Galeries d'Aylmer shopping center with 4 screens.

• Imax
  IMAX
  IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
  
  Located at the Canadian Museum of Civilization
  Canadian Museum of Civilization
  The Canadian Museum of Civilization is Canada's national museum of human history and the most popular and most-visited museum in Canada....
  
   on Rue Laurier near the Alexandra Bridge
  Alexandra Bridge
  The Royal Alexandra Interprovincial Bridge is a steel truss cantilever bridge spanning the Ottawa River between Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec. It is known locally as both the "Alexandra Bridge" and the "Interprovincial Bridge".-History:...
  
  .

• StarCité Hull
  Hull, Quebec
  Hull is the central and oldest part of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of the Canadian National Capital Region, it contains offices for twenty thousand...
  
  - Opened in the late 1990s in Le Plateau. This 16-screen theater is the biggest on the Quebec side of the National Capital Region
  National Capital Region (Canada)
  The National Capital Region, also referred to as Canada's Capital Region, is an official federal designation for the Canadian capital of Ottawa, Ontario, the neighbouring city of Gatineau, Quebec, and surrounding urban and rural communities....
  
  . It has a large arcade area called Tech Town. Located at on Boulevard du Plateau near the junction of Boulevard Saint-Raymond & De l'Outaouais. Formerly owned by Famous Players, it was sold along with 6 other Quebec locations to Fortune Cinemas in 2006 to satisfy a regulatory requirement to complete the merger with Cineplex Entertainment. In 2010, Cineplex Entertainment acquired the assets of the bankrupt Fortune Cinemas chain, including StarCite Hull and the 6 other former Cineplex theatres previously divested.