Geneva Event Centre
16 West Street S,
Orillia,
ON
L3V
16 West Street S,
Orillia,
ON
L3V
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Additional Info
Architects: Jay I. English
Functions: Concerts, Live Music Venue, Special Events
Styles: Art Deco
Previous Names: Geneva Theatre
Nearby Theaters
The Geneva Theatre opened in 1939 and appears to have closed in the 1980’s after a multiplex opened in the area. It became a bingo hall which was still operating in May 2015. By July 2019 it had become the Geneva Event Centre.
Contributed by
Christopher Walczak
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
Here’s a picture of the Geneva in Orillia from 1939:
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0012832.jpg
The Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada lists the Geneva Theatre in Orillia as a 1939 project of architect Jay English.
Hello everyone, I just purchased this theater. Now comes the fun. I would like to restore the facade. Any other pictures would help. Please let me know if you can help at (the.donald@ hotmail.com) Thank you
Porter, I wish you success in your restoration project. I haven’t been able to find any early photos of the building, though as Jay English was a fairly well known theater architect it’s possible that some of his plans and papers, and possibly project photos, survive in an archive somewhere, though I haven’t been able to discover if they have. If I come across any information about his papers I’ll post it here.
Thank you, I’m hoping to get an idea of where the playbill windows were when I strip that ugly crumbling brick off the face. First task is finding a source for the stone panels then rebuild the rusted and crumbling frame around the marquee. The ticket window is still there so only a renovation will be necessary.
The architectural plans for the building, as well as the fire photos that they took showing all of the entrances and exits, are likely at the Ontario archives in the rg-11 theater licensing files.
“The Geneva Theatre - 16 West Street South - the Geneva Theatre building, now known as the Geneva Event Centre lends itself to the cultural and heritage background of Orillia’s downtown improvement area. Built in 1939 in the art deco style by Leslie Gregory, a theatre owner from Hamilton, using fireproof construction and boasting "the most modern indirect lighting”, and a “brightly lighted marquee in front”. The current owner is planning to restore the façade to its original 1939 condition."