By Kaelyn Delaurier, Senior Reporter
Today, if you want to watch a movie, you can simply scroll through a streaming service on your
phone or television and pick a film of your choice. However, as we all know, it wasn’t always
like this. Movies were once an inconceivable thought until recording technology became more
prevalent. Even then, watching a film was a special night out, not the regular at-home routine we know today.
In Brandon, the first ever movie theatre was the Strand. On November 27, 1916, the Hughes
Block was constructed and its most prominent business, the Strand Theatre, opened on
November 27, 1916. However, it wasn’t until December 14, 1929 that the theatre showed its
first ‘talking picture’ and fully transformed into a movie theatre. This ‘talking picture’ – or as we
know it today, ‘movie’ – would’ve been a black and white silent film, not the cinematic colourful
films of the modern world. But, despite the differences, the main purpose of film remains the same – entertainment.
For ninety years, the Strand Theatre welcomed movie-goers through its doors. Throughout its
operation, the theatre moved from the days of black and white silent films to the colourful
cinematic movies of the early 2000s. In January of 2005, the theatre showed its final film,
closing its doors for good.
After the Strand’s closure, over thirty businesses were in discussion about possibly buying and
repurposing the building, one of which was the Brandon Folk, Music, and Art Society.
Unfortunately, this plan fell through. Then, in 2016, another plan was put in motion when
Brandon University bought the Strand Theatre from Landmark Cinemas for one dollar.
When the university purchased the building, they had a few plans for the space. Some wanted to turn it into student residences or student family housing. The university itself had a more general plan of using the building for their role in community-based research and education. There were even talks about turning it into retail or commercial spaces, academic and learning areas, or arts and cultural venues.
Come 2018, the 102-year-old Strand Theatre was deemed unsalvageable, as the roof was leaking and years of the freezing and thawing cycle destroyed the building’s foundation. The university demolished the building in March of 2018.
A few interesting events occurred after the demolition of the Strand. People came together on
multiple forms of social media to share their memories of the theatre over its 90 years of
operation. Additionally, three ‘ghost signs’ were revealed on the sides of the buildings beside the
theatre. These ‘ghost signs’ were advertisements for the Clark J. Smith photography studio, the Lone Cigar Factory, and the Christie Biscuits businesses. These signs predate the theatre’s
construction in 1916 and can still be seen today.
Now, you might be wondering, what did happen to the land where the Strand Theatre once sat?
Unfortunately, the answer is simple and disappointing. Nothing. As of right now, a parking lot
sits where the theatre once resided. And there are no other publicly announced plans for the
space… yet. Maybe one day someone will find a new purpose for the lot where the beloved
Strand Theatre once stood, giving the area new life and helping to revitalize our downtown.
Sources: S.J. McKee Archives, The Brandon Sun, CBC News, The Free Library Brandon.