Monarch Theatre Interior: Lobby & Cinema

As an avid fan of the historic Monarch Theatre in Medicine Hat, Alberta, I was all too pleased to get private access to the building for my Around the Hat photo series. Opened in 1911, the Monarch is believed to be the oldest movie theatre in Canada that was built specifically for screening films. Today it's a charming movie house.

During my tour of the theatre I shot several hundred images of the lobby and cinema before eventually ending up in the projection room, behind the screen, and in the basement. There's no question that much of the Monarch's appeal is rooted in its history and old-fashioned character.  

The theatre plays everything from blockbusters to documentaries to art house flicks, and has even found opportunities to screen classics like Casablanca. In a city of just over 60,000 people, I think some often forget that it's rare for a place as diverse and unique as this to exist here.

From the rich red curtain to the new tin ceilings in the lobby, the Monarch has made tremendous strides since reopening in 2009. It's a beautiful and understated theatre that has made a significant effort to remain relevant, while also successfully embracing the history and heritage value of its downtown location. You owe it to yourself to see a movie here.

Dominion Fruit Company Warehouse

This old brick warehouse next to the rail yard in Medicine Hat, Alberta is about to turn 100 years old. Originally the warehouse for the Dominion Fruit Company, the building went up in the summer of 1913. I'm not familiar with much of the history unfortunately, but it's clear from all of the faded names painted around the top of the structure that it's had many uses in its lifetime.
  

In my view, the location's claim to fame today is the ghost mural of the Royal Crown Soap ad. The vintage Olson Kurb Side delivery van that's been parked next to the building for years is also a pretty cool highlight of the location.  You can even see the van in one these snapshots I took in the summer of 2004. 


Like many of the other buildings in the area, this warehouse is showing its age, and I'm not entirely sure if it's even in use anymore.  One interesting thing about the building is that the rear wall has a noticeable curve to it, and I believe that's because there used to be a curved rail line that originally ran behind the Dominion Fruit Company Warehouse and to the neighbouring Marshall-Mitchell Hardware Co. Warehouse, which was built first. See several of the archival images I found and posted of the building during construction a century ago.  

Dominion Fruit Warehouse construction ca. 1913

Dominion Fruit Warehouse construction ca. 1913

The warehouse shortly after completion. Notice the freshly painted ad.