Description du lieu patrimonial

The Village Theatre is a Streamline Moderne style building located in the town centre of Qualicum Beach. The historic place is confined to the building footprint.

Valeur patrimoniale

The heritage value of the Village Theatre lies in its long, continuous use as a theatre. Built as a movie house, the building is currently used for live theatre. As the only purpose-built theatre in town, the Village Theatre has served local residents as an entertainment venue for over 60 years, providing a significant cultural and social centre.

Built in 1948, the Village Theatre is a very good and rare local example of the Streamline Moderne style. Sleeker and plainer than Art Deco, Moderne style became popular in the late 1930s and reflected the influence of the technological wonders of the day such as airplanes, locomotives and moving images. The Village Theatre’s streamlined appearance is achieved through its smooth stucco surfaces, curved wall and minimal ornamentation.

The Village Theatre is also significant for its association with architect Swinburne A. Kayll, best known for the Pump and Transformer Houses at the Esquimalt Graving Dock and the Salvation Army Grandview Citadel in Vancouver.

The Village Theatre’s location within a grouping of historic buildings, its striking architecture and its prominent location in the town centre make it an important community landmark.

Source: Town of Qualicum Beach, Corporate Administration

Éléments caractéristiques

The character-defining elements of the Village Theatre include:
- its continuous use as a theatre since its construction
- all of the original elements of the Streamline Moderne style, including the simple massing and form, minimal ornamentation, smooth stucco walls with horizontal banding, glass block window on front façade, and prominent, full height, curved wall on the front façade
- all of the original elements of a theatre building including the ticket window, playbill niches and projecting marquee
- the building’s location on a main street in the town’s commercial core