I find all this information very interesting. The other day I was working in one of Winnipeg’s historical hotels right in the area of the Starland. I have never paid much attention to what used to be “theatre strip”. This is very fascinating! It seems as though more and more interesting historical facts are comming to light. I cannot beleive how much history is right here in my home town!
Lost Memory: That’s my terribly outdated site.. Oops! That was before the “Cinema treasures” forum came to be.. I was aiming for the same purpose (Active discussion) with some pictures etc, to make it interesting. Speaking of which, Ken; have you looked into the Picture option for the Header on this site page?, I know it was down awhile ago. Let’s get our Met on the “featured” page!
A huge thanks goes out to Ken for producing a video highlighting the efforts made by “Friends of the MET”, as well showcasing the theatre. This is probably the most comprehensive collection of media covering the Met I have seen so far!
Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN2V7N-OQAE
It’s a mixed bag as far as I’m concerned; Kudo’s to Canad; they definitely have the cash to get the “required” work done to the building. (Huge sigh of relief)
This means the physical state of “decline” can be adverted finally.
As far as preservation goes, that’s another story. I’m taking the “wait and see” approach.
They definitely know how to get things done & their locally owned..
Hey Ken, I figured you would be there.
I totally agree, they had a nice video rig there; they could have showed some pics from the archives, like opening night, construction, or even Odeon’s opening night. Great Idea.. There are some very interesting areas backstage etc…
Sorry to hear your experience included such bad luck! That’s really annoying about the seat thing.. I know the theatre was filled to capacity and it was a little chaotic, but as you said it’s not like you’re 16 and it was some expensive rock tour with $250 tickets.. jeeesh…
I was anticipating the rush at the end and decided to explore the theatre a little more (apparently many did.) My girlfriend and I stayed on the 1st balcony about 10 mins after, wandered up to the gods and sat there for a few, We have tickets to an upcoming show at the end of the month and wanted to visit our seats.
Then some hired goon kicked us and a couple other people out into the stairway which was locked at the end.
After politely knocking at the lobby door another security guard let us in and we were able to get out the front door, at that point the theatre was still quite packed.
We ended up on 3 in the parkade. I went to the pay station in the lot with about 50 other people, the thing jammed up which caused panic in the pay area. I suggested to my girlfriend we go for a walk to let things at the lot cool off, we came back a few minutes later and yea… 40 minutes later we were out.
I saw the kids on the entrance ramp.. lol…
At the end of the day I was just happy to be at the Walker and help the cause. Besides the organizational challenges it was really nice to see the Walker busy as ever before.
Seems to me they could have been a little more welcomming seeing as we were all there “supporting” the theatre.. What would it hurt to offer some guided tours after the show?
Once again another year has passed and little or no movement on the Metropolitan site.
I simply cannot believe the indecision and political red tape blocking the way to the Met’s survival; this is embarrassing to our city.
Last evening I attended the 100th anniversary of the Walker Theatre.
An eager crowd of 1600+ supporters showed up, making the event a success. The greatest gift to the Walker is the elimination of its debt! Well done and thanks to all who attended!
This is the kind of spirit that keeps our city alive.
To those who didn’t attend, keep an eye out for fundraising concerts such as this, the survival of our historical theatres depends on it.
This is a terrible shame.
A great reminder that fire safety and security can NEVER be overlooked during a restoration. We have to protect these treasures using the very best equipment and systems available.
A very important reminder.
Thanks for the update.
Agreeing with Sam, that really is a great idea. I would be very satisfied with a solution such as that. Good fit indeed.
Curious, has anyone mentioned this forum to the media / other interested parties such as civic counsel?
Just heard that Centre Venture has possibly “secured a deal” however I don’t think it’s the nice kind of deal.
Apparently they are not ready to release it to the public.
Hopefully they will release it “before” they drive a wrecking ball through the met. A repeat of the Capitol would be shameful.
Does anyone have any info on the latest?
Hello and welcome Ken!
I remember meeting you at FOTM, I’m glad you have discovered the forum. Can’t thank you enough for posting the link to the greatest collection of pics I have seen so far, well done.
Have you heard about the new developments for the Met?
Hello and welcome Ken!
I remember meeting you at FOTM, I’m glad you have discovered the forum. Can’t thank you enough for posting the link to the greatest collection of pics I have seen so far, well done.
Have you heard about the new developments for the Met?
I know this is the case as far as heritage protection goes.
My idea submission looks at the sources of funding to ensure a proper restoration. The modifications would not be to the building itself but more or less add-ons and support structures physically surrounding the building (Much Like Pantageous).
At the Pantageous playhouse they did a pretty good job of adding the necessary upgrades IE: mechanical, dressing rooms, greenrooms, even a dance studio and an office complex without modifying the original auditorium and lobby.
They even went so far as to maintain a “space” around the original theater. the glass roof/front wall let in the natural light which really makes the old exterior of the theater very noticeable. Great protection too! Unfortunately the “restoration” is very patchy at best.
I’m curious though as to why the Pantageous is often forgotten / not mentioned. It is another valuable heritage theater, and it has undergone all the upgrades to make it fully functional too!
I know this is the case as far as heritage protection goes.
My idea submission looks at the sources of funding to ensure a proper restoration. The modifications would not be to the building itself but more or less add-ons and support structures physically surrounding the building (Much Like Pantageous).
At the Pantageous playhouse they did a pretty good job of adding the necessary upgrades IE: mechanical, dressing rooms, greenrooms, even a dance studio and an office complex without modifying the original auditorium and lobby.
They even went so far as to maintain a “space” around the original theater. the glass roof/front wall let in the natural light which really makes the old exterior of the theater very noticeable. Great protection too! Unfortunately the “restoration” is very patchy at best.
I’m curious though as to why the Pantageous is often forgotten / not mentioned. It is another valuable heritage theater, and it has undergone all the upgrades to make it fully functional too!
It’s great to see some brainstorming! Though it is another great consideration, It would be a shame to split up the theater more or less from a “historic preservation” point of view. Though not impossible, the movie thing seems like a tough go. Towne 8 has central wpg, and Cinema City8 takes care of everywhere else.
I don’t understand why the UofW made the quick decision to erect a brand new fine arts facility in downtown Winnipeg without even considering the remaining theaters. The Met is in an Ideal location in respect to the UofW campus, there is room to expand it to meet the needs of a modern theater, it could even be connected to the skywalk system /MTS Centre. The project could give the UofW a lot of recognition of many levels there could even be student involvement in the restoration, talk about a history lesson! It definitely would be a large project but consider the levels of funding this would open up. Not only civic and private sectors but possibly even federal funding. In the end there would be something for everyone. The UofW would have a performing arts center, the theater would be preserved, the city would gain recognition, businesses in the MTS center would experience an increase of traffic.
If you consider what Red River Community College has done on princess street to basically condemnable buildings, I don’t think the idea is too far fetched.
>Sam_e:
>Another problem is that it is ‘landlocked’, meaning that the stage >house could not be enlarged. It is bounded by the public laneway to >the north and by Holy Trinity church property to the south which is >already designated as an historic site.
This is true, however I don’t see why the land between the theatre and the church (there’s quite a space there) couldn’t be utilized.
Also, there’s a building attached to the side of the theatre (currently PCL’s lunch room/office)that could be leveled and would provide alot of space for a sideways south expansion running the entire depth of the theatre. Again, this is just an observation. I am sure the city has a long list of land use conditions not to mention the fact that the Church does own a portion of the land between the buildings. As for the public lane? let’s face it, if the city was willing I’m sure there wouldn’t be a problem encroaching / completely removing the lane since they seem to do it all the time! EG: UofW-Spence St. Graham st, Portage Place prominade etc,etc..
I find all this information very interesting. The other day I was working in one of Winnipeg’s historical hotels right in the area of the Starland. I have never paid much attention to what used to be “theatre strip”. This is very fascinating! It seems as though more and more interesting historical facts are comming to light. I cannot beleive how much history is right here in my home town!
Oh , answered my own question.. apparently CT is still working on the photo issue.
Lost Memory: That’s my terribly outdated site.. Oops! That was before the “Cinema treasures” forum came to be.. I was aiming for the same purpose (Active discussion) with some pictures etc, to make it interesting. Speaking of which, Ken; have you looked into the Picture option for the Header on this site page?, I know it was down awhile ago. Let’s get our Met on the “featured” page!
A huge thanks goes out to Ken for producing a video highlighting the efforts made by “Friends of the MET”, as well showcasing the theatre. This is probably the most comprehensive collection of media covering the Met I have seen so far!
Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN2V7N-OQAE
The boards are off the windows, there has been some tours from the local media.
It’s a mixed bag as far as I’m concerned; Kudo’s to Canad; they definitely have the cash to get the “required” work done to the building. (Huge sigh of relief)
This means the physical state of “decline” can be adverted finally.
As far as preservation goes, that’s another story. I’m taking the “wait and see” approach.
They definitely know how to get things done & their locally owned..
Does anyone know why theboards are off the all the windows and all the lights are on at the Met?
Hey Ken, I figured you would be there.
I totally agree, they had a nice video rig there; they could have showed some pics from the archives, like opening night, construction, or even Odeon’s opening night. Great Idea.. There are some very interesting areas backstage etc…
Sorry to hear your experience included such bad luck! That’s really annoying about the seat thing.. I know the theatre was filled to capacity and it was a little chaotic, but as you said it’s not like you’re 16 and it was some expensive rock tour with $250 tickets.. jeeesh…
I was anticipating the rush at the end and decided to explore the theatre a little more (apparently many did.) My girlfriend and I stayed on the 1st balcony about 10 mins after, wandered up to the gods and sat there for a few, We have tickets to an upcoming show at the end of the month and wanted to visit our seats.
Then some hired goon kicked us and a couple other people out into the stairway which was locked at the end.
After politely knocking at the lobby door another security guard let us in and we were able to get out the front door, at that point the theatre was still quite packed.
We ended up on 3 in the parkade. I went to the pay station in the lot with about 50 other people, the thing jammed up which caused panic in the pay area. I suggested to my girlfriend we go for a walk to let things at the lot cool off, we came back a few minutes later and yea… 40 minutes later we were out.
I saw the kids on the entrance ramp.. lol…
At the end of the day I was just happy to be at the Walker and help the cause. Besides the organizational challenges it was really nice to see the Walker busy as ever before.
Seems to me they could have been a little more welcomming seeing as we were all there “supporting” the theatre.. What would it hurt to offer some guided tours after the show?
Once again another year has passed and little or no movement on the Metropolitan site.
I simply cannot believe the indecision and political red tape blocking the way to the Met’s survival; this is embarrassing to our city.
Last evening I attended the 100th anniversary of the Walker Theatre.
An eager crowd of 1600+ supporters showed up, making the event a success. The greatest gift to the Walker is the elimination of its debt! Well done and thanks to all who attended!
This is the kind of spirit that keeps our city alive.
To those who didn’t attend, keep an eye out for fundraising concerts such as this, the survival of our historical theatres depends on it.
Happy 100th to the WALKER!
Cheers to all who attended the celebrations last evening at the Walker! A good time was had by all!
Better yet the funds raised from the show in addition to selling the parking lot made enough to pay of the theatres debt!
This is VERY good news for the Walker (burton cummings CPA)
This is a terrible shame.
A great reminder that fire safety and security can NEVER be overlooked during a restoration. We have to protect these treasures using the very best equipment and systems available.
A very important reminder.
Thanks for the update.
Agreeing with Sam, that really is a great idea. I would be very satisfied with a solution such as that. Good fit indeed.
Curious, has anyone mentioned this forum to the media / other interested parties such as civic counsel?
Just heard that Centre Venture has possibly “secured a deal” however I don’t think it’s the nice kind of deal.
Apparently they are not ready to release it to the public.
Hopefully they will release it “before” they drive a wrecking ball through the met. A repeat of the Capitol would be shameful.
Does anyone have any info on the latest?
The Starland is still standing on Main.
Hello and welcome Ken!
I remember meeting you at FOTM, I’m glad you have discovered the forum. Can’t thank you enough for posting the link to the greatest collection of pics I have seen so far, well done.
Have you heard about the new developments for the Met?
Hello and welcome Ken!
I remember meeting you at FOTM, I’m glad you have discovered the forum. Can’t thank you enough for posting the link to the greatest collection of pics I have seen so far, well done.
Have you heard about the new developments for the Met?
Sorry, it’s a little hard to find.
Easier to search for “metro” within the page in explorer.. The entry is near the bottom of the page..
Check out the Story on the Met’s Status on this blog..
Sounds like the resto is going to happen after all.
http://blackrod.blogspot.com/
interesting.
I know this is the case as far as heritage protection goes.
My idea submission looks at the sources of funding to ensure a proper restoration. The modifications would not be to the building itself but more or less add-ons and support structures physically surrounding the building (Much Like Pantageous).
At the Pantageous playhouse they did a pretty good job of adding the necessary upgrades IE: mechanical, dressing rooms, greenrooms, even a dance studio and an office complex without modifying the original auditorium and lobby.
They even went so far as to maintain a “space” around the original theater. the glass roof/front wall let in the natural light which really makes the old exterior of the theater very noticeable. Great protection too! Unfortunately the “restoration” is very patchy at best.
I’m curious though as to why the Pantageous is often forgotten / not mentioned. It is another valuable heritage theater, and it has undergone all the upgrades to make it fully functional too!
I know this is the case as far as heritage protection goes.
My idea submission looks at the sources of funding to ensure a proper restoration. The modifications would not be to the building itself but more or less add-ons and support structures physically surrounding the building (Much Like Pantageous).
At the Pantageous playhouse they did a pretty good job of adding the necessary upgrades IE: mechanical, dressing rooms, greenrooms, even a dance studio and an office complex without modifying the original auditorium and lobby.
They even went so far as to maintain a “space” around the original theater. the glass roof/front wall let in the natural light which really makes the old exterior of the theater very noticeable. Great protection too! Unfortunately the “restoration” is very patchy at best.
I’m curious though as to why the Pantageous is often forgotten / not mentioned. It is another valuable heritage theater, and it has undergone all the upgrades to make it fully functional too!
It’s great to see some brainstorming! Though it is another great consideration, It would be a shame to split up the theater more or less from a “historic preservation” point of view. Though not impossible, the movie thing seems like a tough go. Towne 8 has central wpg, and Cinema City8 takes care of everywhere else.
I don’t understand why the UofW made the quick decision to erect a brand new fine arts facility in downtown Winnipeg without even considering the remaining theaters. The Met is in an Ideal location in respect to the UofW campus, there is room to expand it to meet the needs of a modern theater, it could even be connected to the skywalk system /MTS Centre. The project could give the UofW a lot of recognition of many levels there could even be student involvement in the restoration, talk about a history lesson! It definitely would be a large project but consider the levels of funding this would open up. Not only civic and private sectors but possibly even federal funding. In the end there would be something for everyone. The UofW would have a performing arts center, the theater would be preserved, the city would gain recognition, businesses in the MTS center would experience an increase of traffic.
If you consider what Red River Community College has done on princess street to basically condemnable buildings, I don’t think the idea is too far fetched.
>Sam_e:
>Another problem is that it is ‘landlocked’, meaning that the stage >house could not be enlarged. It is bounded by the public laneway to >the north and by Holy Trinity church property to the south which is >already designated as an historic site.
This is true, however I don’t see why the land between the theatre and the church (there’s quite a space there) couldn’t be utilized.
Also, there’s a building attached to the side of the theatre (currently PCL’s lunch room/office)that could be leveled and would provide alot of space for a sideways south expansion running the entire depth of the theatre. Again, this is just an observation. I am sure the city has a long list of land use conditions not to mention the fact that the Church does own a portion of the land between the buildings. As for the public lane? let’s face it, if the city was willing I’m sure there wouldn’t be a problem encroaching / completely removing the lane since they seem to do it all the time! EG: UofW-Spence St. Graham st, Portage Place prominade etc,etc..
Oops..
Check out the tour of the restored Allen!
In the above link move your mouse over “about” then move down and to the left over “tour”..
Enjoy.
This is a very interesting example of what our Metropolitan/Allen theatre could truly become if the dream were realized.
http://www.capitoltheatre.org/
This city took great pride in the restoration and re-birth of this classic Allen theatre.
Yet Another Reminder:
This Saturday Morning Tickets go on sale for “The Strokes”!