Pantages Theatre
150 East Hastings Street,
Vancouver,
BC
V6A 1N4
150 East Hastings Street,
Vancouver,
BC
V6A 1N4
3 people
favorited this theater
Opened in 1908, the first Pantages Theatre in Vancouver is the oldest remaining vaudeville theatre in Canada. Although it has been dark since 1994, the interior remains virtually intact from its heyday.
A grander new Pantages Theatre was erected in 1917 a couple blocks away at 20 West Hastings Street, but was torn down in 1967 to make way for a parking lot.
The Pantages Theatre Arts Society was planning to restore the original Pantages Theatre as a venue for live theater. However by 2010, these plans had been abandoned. Architectural features are being removed ahead of possible demolition.
Contributed by
Charles Barber, Sean Jung
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Recent comments (view all 17 comments)
Just for clarification, there were two Pantages Theater in Vancouver at one time. The first was built in 1907 and opened to the public on January 6, 1908. This is not the structured designed by Architect B. Marcus Priteca. The original, at 152 East Hastings operated as the Pantages from 1907 to about 1930. It later became the State (which also had live burlesque performances),Avon, City Lights and Sun Sing Theater showing Chinese movies.
Sadly, this project may now be dead…
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I have started a Facebook group focusing on efforts to save the Pantages…
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=45653505791
And I have created a petition to the City of Vancouver Mayor & Council…
http://www.petitiononline.com/pantages/
A photo and some additional information is here.
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Regrettably there is no good news to report on the Pantages Theatre. Last July (2008) the previous City Council turned down the current owner’s final proposal to restore the Pantages Theatre. In September 2008, instead of purchasing the Theatre, Vancouver City Council agreed to conduct a feasibility study, which to date has not been started. The current Council has had no discussion with the owner and has shown no interest in reversing the previous council’s decision.
The sale of the Pantages is progressing and it is our understanding that the interested purchaser does not intend to retain the building. In the meantime the Theatre’s condition has deteriorated so rapidly it is now off limits to visitors. It appears that Vancouver will lose a 101-year old theatre, unique in all of western Canada.
What a sad commentation if heritage value and history does not mean a thing. We’ve already lost the old Imperial Theatre. This Pantages Theatre is one of the earliest built and is also the oldest remaining structure to still stand. I still recall a time when the Carnegie Library was going to be razed as well before being saved.
Dec 17, 2009: The Pantages Theatre Arts Society has abandoned its struggle to preserve and restore Vancouver’s Historic Pantages Theatre â€" Heritage Vancouver urges the City of Vancouver to find a way to preserve The Pantages.
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2010 photo of the Pantages Theatre
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Status should read demolished, as it shows in the current street view that the Pantages is gone.
This website was originally created to save the Pantages and contains some additional historical information; it is uncertain how long it remain accessible since the effort unfortunately failed.