Excessive River’s historic Wales Theatre is up on the market

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Excessive River residents are anxiously ready to seek out out who will purchase the southern Alberta city’s film theatre.

The Wales Theatre, initially known as the Highwood Theatre when it opened in 1927, is up on the market for near $1.1 million.

The Kidwai household, have owned and run the theatre since 2000, nevertheless it’s “simply time to go the torch,” mentioned Joshua Torrence, an affiliate dealer at Century 21 Foothills Actual Property in Excessive River, about 50 kilometres south of Calgary.

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When the realtor posted the itemizing on social media, native residents have been unhappy to listen to that the house owners, who Torrence mentioned have turn into a “staple in the neighborhood,” have been shifting on.

“They’re nervous that it’s the tip of an period,” mentioned Torrence, a Excessive River resident who has been watching films within the theatre for years.

“However the excellent news is that the folks which might be after it need to proceed the custom, need to run it as a theatre.”

And the household needs to discover a purchaser who will maintain the theatre working for years to come back, he mentioned.

“Everyone who’s had their hand on it has achieved 20-, 25-plus years working it.”

There’s been loads of curiosity within the property, which additionally contains business house presently leased to a Domino’s Pizza and a two-bedroom residential suite above the restaurant. The theatre enterprise is included within the property sale.

“This chance doesn’t come up an entire bunch,” mentioned Torrence about proudly owning a film theatre.

When it opened, the downtown Excessive River theatre had seating for about 400 on the primary flooring and balcony, and was geared up with the newest motion-picture gear, mentioned Torrence.

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The present house owners restored the theatre, which now comfortably seats round 250 folks, after they purchased it, nevertheless it was essential for them to retain its artwork deco appeal, he mentioned.

After the 2013 flood, the downtown Excessive River theatre once more needed to be restored.

The Wales Theatre’s partitions are coated in historical past, mentioned Torrence.

Legendary actor and director Clint Eastwood watched footage on the theatre’s display screen whereas filming of the western Unforgiven was happening within the space in 1991. In line with the Journey Alberta web site, set items constructed close to Longview, about 30 kilometres southwest of Excessive River, turned the fictional Eighteen Eighties city of Large Whiskey, Wyo.

The Highwood Theatre turned the Wales Theatre in 1935 after a contest was held to rename it. A boy, Fred Orton, received the $6 prize for suggesting the Wales Theatre, in honour of Edward, Prince of Wales. Edward, who turned the king of England in 1936 earlier than abdicating the throne later that 12 months so he may marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson, had a ranch within the Excessive River space.

Edward, who turned the Duke of Windsor after giving up the throne, and Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, visited the ranch in 1941. Throughout that go to, they noticed 1941’s biographical movie Sergeant York, starring Gary Cooper, on the Wales Theatre.  

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“That piece is on the wall, with the Duke and the Duchess right here, and a signed image of Clint Eastwood saying thanks for the usage of your theatre,” mentioned Torrence.

In line with the Museum of the Highwood Fb web page, the Highwood Theatre was constructed by Claresholm farmer Hans Petter Johnson and his spouse’s uncle John Edlund, a photographer and inventor who was additionally from Claresholm, situated about 120 kilometres south of Calgary. The state-of-the-art theatre opened in November 1927.

The theatre was initially constructed to accommodate each dwell theatre and flicks, in accordance with the Wales Theatre web site. Upholstered chesterfield chairs imported from England, chromium and plate glass tiles within the lobby, an ornate ceiling, air-con and hardwood flooring “made the theatre one of the crucial luxurious and greatest geared up within the province on the time,” it says.

“Wales Theatre has seen all of it, from the primitive ‘storeroom theatres’ and early movies, by means of the silent films and to the talkies and technicolor, cinemascope to large screens.”

Irene Kerr, the Museum of the Highwood’s director and curator, mentioned everybody who’s grown up in Excessive River — together with her personal children — has reminiscences of going to observe films on the Wales.

“I can’t think about Excessive River with out it. It wouldn’t be the identical,” mentioned Kerr.

The Wales Theatre exhibits films day by day at 7:30 p.m. and in addition has two weekly matinees. Blink Twice, starring Channing Tatum, has been taking part in this week.

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