Garneau Theatre Edmonton went up in 1940, and the name still runs in big letters down its sign on 109 Street, just south of the High Level Bridge. The Alberta Register of Historic Places calls it the second cinema built in Edmonton outside the downtown core. In October 2009 it was designated a Municipal Historic Resource, and today it’s the home of Metro Cinema.
The architect was William G. Blakey, whose other work includes the Masonic Temple, Christ Church and the Roxy Theatre. The register describes the Garneau as an Art Deco cinema and retail building in two tone brick and stucco, flat roofed and two storeys tall. A rooftop penthouse with a fan room and lounge was added in 1942, designed by Rule Wynn Rule.
The designation date is October 28, 2009, and it comes with fine print that heritage fans will enjoy. It covers the exterior facades and the theatre lobby. The projection room, the auditorium and the insides of the three commercial spaces don’t count. What the register singles out is the “GARNEAU” lettering, the marquee with its neon signage and soffit lighting, the lobby entrance between two storefronts, and the original terrazzo lobby floor. Walk in and look down.
Metro Cinema describes itself as a community based not for profit society, operating in Edmonton, Alberta, and it runs on the help of a large volunteer base that keeps programming affordable. It also invites individuals and community groups to curate series, host film festivals and special events, and screen their own work, so the building doubles as a platform for other people’s ideas. Its address is 8712 109 Street.
The Garneau keeps turning up in Alberta film stories. It hosts screenings for the Edmonton International Film Festival, and it was the venue for the Edmonton Short Film Festival’s tenth anniversary in 2022. Calgary has heritage rooms of its own, and if you’d like to compare, the Palace Theatre and the Plaza Theatre are good places to start.
On a film trip north, check the calendar on the Metro Cinema site, then stand across 109 Street for a minute and look at that marquee before you go in.
More from the archive: Passchendaele Brought a Calgary Love Story to the Big Screen and Calgary Still Has a Palace From Canada’s Biggest Cinema Family.
We think Vertigo Theatre Sells Mystery From the Base of the Calgary Tower is a good next read.
Quick answers
The Garneau Theatre was built in 1940, designed by architect William G. Blakey. A rooftop penthouse was added in 1942. It was designated a Municipal Historic Resource on October 28, 2009, according to the Alberta Register of Historic Places.
Metro Cinema, a community based not for profit society, operates in the Garneau Theatre at 8712 109 Street in Edmonton. It relies on a large volunteer base and lets community groups curate series, host festivals and screen their own work.
The Municipal Historic Resource designation covers the exterior facades and the theatre lobby only. Protected features include the GARNEAU lettering, the neon marquee, the lobby entrance between two storefronts and the original terrazzo lobby floor.
Sources: Alberta Register of Historic Places, Garneau Theatre; Metro Cinema, About; Edmonton Short Film Festival, History.
