Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts

Opened as the Temple Theatre on December 22, 1919, as an independently operated vaudeville theatre by Jules and Jay Allen of the Allen’s Theaters Ltd. chain. It had a seating capacity of 1,600.

It was renamed the Capitol Theatre in 1928, and in 1929 Famous Players purchased the theatre and operated it as a single screen movie theatre until 1986.

This large theatre has no balcony. Instead, it has a section of stadium seating at the rear of the auditorium. The theatre is now known as the Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts. Now dedicated to live performing arts, there is no longer a movie screen or projection equipment in the building.

A blaze in two historic buildings next door to the theatre in September of 2004 caused heavy smoke and water damage in the Sanderson Centre and it was closed down for six weeks for repairs to be carried out. It has now been fully restored.

Recent comments (view all 5 comments)

richardg on March 25, 2004 at 7:31 pm

The official website for The Sanderson Centre is:
http://www.sandersoncentre.on.ca/album.htm
I passed by the Sanderson Centre in 1999 and because a function was ongoing, I couldn’t get past the foyer. What I saw was very impressive. The website’s many photos have somewhat diluted my dissapointment in not having seen the auditorium.

hamiltonmark on September 24, 2004 at 4:31 pm

A RESENT FIRE(SEPT. 04) AT TWO HISTORIC BUILDING NEXT TO THE THEATRE CAUSE MAJOR SMOKE AND WATER DAMAGE TO THE THEATRE. THE CEILING,WALLS,SEATS AND BASICLLY THE ENTIRE THEATRE HAS TO BE CLEANED. THEY ESTIMATE IT WILL COST UPWARDS OF $1,000,000.00 TO CLEAN. I HAVE BEEN INSIDE AND THE WORK THAT WAS DONE TO RESTORE THIS THEATRE WAS FANTASTIC.. LET’S HOPE IT DOES NOT TAKE LONG TO REPAIR AND RE-OPEN IT.

CSWalczak on June 17, 2008 at 8:02 am

Pictures of the theatre, as the Capitol, from the Ontario Archives as it was in 1947:
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0011915.jpg
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0011916.jpg
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0011917.jpg
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0011918.jpg
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0011919.jpg

CharmaineZoe on February 27, 2013 at 7:14 am

In a copy of the Motion Picture News for Feb 8, 1930 it is still described as the Temple and it’s stated it celebrated it’s 10 year anniversary in January of that year, the manager, Ernie Moule, had compiled a black and white program carrying a personal message to his staff & patrons promising to keep up the standard set in the previous ten years. View link

DavidDymond on February 27, 2013 at 3:04 pm

Ernest Moule listed as Manager of the Capitol Theatre was an operating partner of Famous Players Canadian Corp in Brantford, Ontario. The Capitol, Brant and maybe one other theatre were pooled together for profit. The operating company was called Paramount Brantford Theatres Limited!!