The Old Imperial

The Imperial Theatre in Ottawa was built in 1914, and featured both a balcony seating over 200, and loges, or box seats, for over 100 patrons.

In 1938 the venue was popular enough to be fined twenty dollars for overcrowding and people standing in the aisles.


Ten years later, however, the theatre had to reduce the seating capacity to meet the requirements for a one-man projection booth, as they could no longer afford to employ two men. The theatre closed in 1955, and eventually became a concert hall, Barrymore’s.