Renovating history
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/02/2012 (5240 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Prolific Manitoba history blogger Christian Cassidy has a soft spot for Brandon, and it shows. He reminds us that yesterday was an important anniversary for the Strand Theatre.
On Feb. 3, back in 1930, the Strand reopened its doors in downtown Brandon after a two-month renovation. It had been retrofitted to convert it into a “talking” picture house and it was the first theatre in Brandon with that technology.
It was a Monday, by the way, and ads in the Brandon Sun proclaimed “continuous performances —five shows daily” with admission prices topping out at 65 cents. To modern eyes, that initial show was shockingly racist: it featured a comedy duo in blackface. Despite that, talkies did manage to catch on.
Fast-forward 80-some years, and the Strand is in the midst of another renovation — this one dragging on much longer, and with less obvious chance of ultimate success (but thankfully no racism).
We’ve cautiously supported the Strand project in the past, and we continue to believe that, given the right mix of public and private funding, a multi-use arts facility in downtown Brandon will be a great addition to the core — sorry, The Hub.
We also note that it is the same local folk fest volunteers behind the Strand project who are running the U.S.A. pavilion at this year’s Winter Festival. By all accounts, the pavilion has been a popular one, and we hope they are fattening their bank account as much as their barbecue ribs fattened our stomachs.
Because it occurs to us that the completed Strand Project might make a natural home for such a pavilion.