Latest news with #ByTowneCinema
CBC
19-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Ottawa Mosque, ByTowne Cinema could get heritage designation
Designation 'long overdue,' says former president of Ottawa Muslim Association Image | ottawa mosque bytowne cinema heritage designation Caption: The Ottawa Mosque, left, and the ByTowne Cinema, right, are two of eight Ottawa buildings that are being considered for a potential heritage designation. The city's built heritage committee will discuss their merits on Tuesday. (Campbell MacDiarmid/CBC, Guy Quenneville/CBC) The Ottawa Mosque and the ByTowne Cinema could be among the latest additions to Ottawa's list of heritage buildings. The built heritage committee will vote Tuesday on whether to grant that status to a number of buildings in the city — including the Rideau Street cinema and the mosque near Tunney's Pasture. Despite being only about 50 years old, the Ottawa Mosque meets five of nine criteria for designation, with particular "design, associative, and contextual values," according to the city's heritage planning branch. A property can be designated under the Ontario Heritage Act if it meets two or more of nine criteria established in the regulations. Buildings that get that designation are granted special legal status that recognizes their cultural value, ensures their preservation and protects them from demolition and inappropriate alteration. 'An honour' In a report recommending its designation, the branch noted that it was the first purpose-built mosque built in Ottawa and one of the earliest in Ontario after the London Muslim Mosque. The irregular-shaped mosque, which has a dome and a minaret with modernist architectural influences, was built between 1973 and 1979, the report noted. Its designation would be a "long overdue" recognition of the city's Muslim community, according to Mohamed Ghadban, a former president of the Ottawa Muslim Association. "It's the main mosque or the mother of all the mosques in the city," said Ghadban. According to Statistics Canada, in 2021 there were nearly 100,000 Muslims in Ottawa, making up nearly 10 per cent of the population and forming the second largest religious group. But when the mosque was built, there were just a few hundred Muslims in the city, Ghadban said. "[It would be] an honour to actually have this building designated," Ghadban said, noting that the city is now home to more than a dozen mosques. Movie theatre in the Moderne style The heritage planning branch also recommended the designation of the ByTowne Cinema for its historical and design value, saying it met six of nine criteria. The theatre, it said, is a representative example of a purpose-built, post-war neighbourhood movie theatre in the "Moderne" style — a subset of the modern architectural movement that's characterized by smooth walls, simple ornamentation, rounded corners, and curved glass. "The ByTowne features elements of the Moderne style through its rounded profile, streamline stone cornice, smooth brick cladding, and metal accents," the report to the committee noted. ByTowne Cinema owner Daniel Demois applauded the research the city conducted into the theatre's history. "It really is a vote of confidence from the city," he said. "They've taught me a lot about what is important about the design and the history of the building." The Nelson Theatre, as it was originally known, was opened by proprietor Hyman Berlin in 1947. The building was designed by Toronto architectural firm Kaplan & Sprachman, which was instrumental in introducing the Moderne style to Canadian theatre architecture, the report noted. It has operated as the ByTowne cinema since 1988, although it almost closed for good during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ottawa's ByTowne Cinema to reopen under new owners Designation could provide practical benefits to the cinema, according to Demois, as it would become more eligible for grants to help maintain and repair heritage elements. Running a 650-seat single theatre in a market dominated by multiplexes can be challenging, said Demois, who hopes that a heritage designation would also reaffirm the value of independent theatre. "With these older independent cinemas, the trend has always been ... to consider them more discount cinemas," he said. "But we've kind of started leaning away from that. If this is a heritage building and this is a place worth celebrating, maybe it's actually a premium experience." The other buildings up for designation on Tuesday are: The Rothesay Apartments at 172 O'Connor St. The former Bell Telephone Exchange buildings at 251 Besserer St., 200 First Ave. and 43 Eccles St. Eglise Saint-François-d'Assise at 1062 Wellington St. W. Eglise Saint-Joseph d'Orléans at 2757 St. Joseph Blvd. The recommendations will still have to be approved by full city council.
Ottawa Citizen
13-05-2025
- Business
- Ottawa Citizen
ByTowne Cinema, Ottawa Mosque heritage designations given committee approval
Article content The ByTowne Cinema was recognized as a 'special place' with a rich, living history in the community as the legendary Rideau Street repertory theatre moved one step closer to a heritage designation, along with several other historic and culturally significant Ottawa properties. Article content Article content Members of the city's built heritage committee shared personal anecdotes and warm memories of the theatre (and its famous popcorn) as the committee carried a staff recommendation on May 13 to designate the building under the Ontario Heritage Act. Article content Article content 'It's not just history, it's living history that really has impacted our city over generations and, hopefully, generations to come with this new designation,' committee chair Coun. Rawlson King said. Article content Article content Constructed as the Nelson Theatre at 325 Rideau St. in 1947 and re-opened as the ByTowne Cinema in 1988, the 650-seat single-screen theatre has since served as an independent repertory theatre screening art-house, foreign, indie, alternative and cult films daily. Article content ByTowne owner Daniel Demois applauded the designation and said the pending heritage status would assist in obtaining grants for any repairs or reconstruction needed to preserve the building's historical features. The designation would specifically preserve the theatre's distinctive façade and marquee, along with other elements like the box office, Demois said, 'So there will always be a reminder of what the ByTowne has been — and the Nelson before it — as a cultural institution in downtown Ottawa.' Article content Article content 'It's a way of recognizing that this cinema has been an important space … and maintaining that and making sure to preserve it,' he said. Article content 'You see it in so many cities. It's so easy to lose the historical elements of a city, and it's nice to see Ottawa focusing on preserving those spaces. It's an honour to think that we're part of something that's deemed historically relevant.' Article content City staff told the committee this week that the ByTowne stood as 'a landmark' on Rideau Street and in Lowertown. Article content 'Its prominent frontage on Rideau Street and its iconic marquee distinguishes it from surrounding contemporary buildings. At night, the ByTowne's lighted marquee makes it highly visible on Rideau Street, uniquely reinforcing its status as a historic and familiar landmark on its streetscape.' Article content The 650-seat theatre serves as a 'gathering place' for independent cinema and the city's film community and hosts numerous film festivals and specialty screenings.
CBC
12-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Ottawa Mosque, ByTowne Cinema could get heritage designation
The Ottawa Mosque and the ByTowne Cinema could be among the latest additions to Ottawa's list of heritage buildings. The built heritage committee will vote Tuesday on whether to grant that status to a number of buildings in the city — including the Rideau Street cinema and the mosque near Tunnney's Pasture. Despite being only about 50 years old, the Ottawa Mosque meets five of nine criteria for designation, with particular "design, associative, and contextual values," according to the city's heritage planning branch. A property can be designated under the Ontario Heritage Act if it meets two or more of nine criteria established in the regulations. Buildings that get that designation are granted special legal status that recognizes their cultural value, ensures their preservation and protects them from demolition and inappropriate alteration. 'An honour' In a report recommending its designation, the branch noted that it was the first purpose-built mosque built in Ottawa and one of the earliest in Ontario after the London Muslim Mosque. The irregular-shaped mosque, which has a dome and a minaret with modernist architectural influences, was built between 1973 and 1979, the report noted. Its designation would be a "long overdue" recognition of the city's Muslim community, according to Mohamed Ghadban, a former president of the Ottawa Muslim Association. "It's the main mosque or the mother of all the mosques in the city," said Ghadban. According to Statistics Canada, in 2021 there were nearly 100,000 Muslims in Ottawa, making up nearly 10 per cent of the population and forming the second largest religious group. But when the mosque was built, there were just a few hundred Muslims in the city, Ghadban said. "[It would be] an honour to actually have this building designated," Ghadban said, noting that the city is now home to more than a dozen mosques. Movie theatre in the Moderne style The heritage planning branch also recommended the designation of the ByTowne Cinema for its historical and design value, saying it met six of nine criteria. The theatre, it said, is a representative example of a purpose-built, post-war neighbourhood movie theatre in the "Moderne" style — a subset of the modern architectural movement that's characterized by smooth walls, simple ornamentation, rounded corners, and curved glass. "The ByTowne features elements of the Moderne style through its rounded profile, streamline stone cornice, smooth brick cladding, and metal accents," the report to the committee noted. ByTowne Cinema owner Daniel Demois applauded the research the city conducted into the theatre's history. "It really is a vote of confidence from the city," he said. "They've taught me a lot about what is important about the design and the history of the building." The Nelson Theatre, as it was originally known, was opened by proprietor Hyman Berlin in 1947. The building was designed by Toronto architectural firm Kaplan & Sprachman, which was instrumental in introducing the Moderne style to Canadian theatre architecture, the report noted. It has operated as the ByTowne cinema since 1988, although it Designation could provide practical benefits to the cinema, according to Demois, as it would become more eligible for grants to help maintain and repair heritage elements. Running a 650-seat single theatre in a market dominated by multiplexes can be challenging, said Demois, who hopes that a heritage designation would also reaffirm the value of independent theatre. "With these older independent cinemas, the trend has always been ... to consider them more discount cinemas," he said. "But we've kind of started leaning away from that. If this is a heritage building and this is a place worth celebrating, maybe it's actually a premium experience." The other buildings up for designation on Tuesday are: The Rothesay Apartments at 172 O'Connor St. The former Bell Telephone Exchange buildings at 251 Besserer St., 200 First Ave. and 43 Eccles St. Eglise Saint-François-d'Assise at 1062 Wellington St. W. Eglise Saint-Joseph d'Orléans at 2757 St. Joseph Blvd. The recommendations will still have to be approved by full city council.
CTV News
09-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
ByTowne Cinema, Ottawa Mosque could be designated heritage buildings in Ottawa
The ByTowne Cinema and the Ottawa Mosque could soon be designated heritage buildings in the City of Ottawa. The Built Heritage Committee will vote Tuesday on recommendations to issue notices of intention to designate the ByTowne Cinema and the Ottawa Mosque as heritage buildings under the Heritage Act. ByTowne Cinema The two-storey building on Rideau Street that houses the ByTowne Cinema was originally constructed as the Nelson Theatre in 1947 and re-opened as the ByTowne Cinema in 1988. Staff say the building meets six of the nine criteria to designate it a heritage building. 'The property has cultural heritage value for its design, associative, and contextual values,' staff said in the report for the Built Heritage Committee. Staff say the building was listed on the City's Heritage Register in 2017, but changes to the Ontario Heritage Act through Bill 23 and Bill 2000 will result in the removal of the property from the city's Heritage Register if Council does not issue a notice of intention to designate the property. The report says the ByTowne Cinema is a 'representative example of a purpose-built post-war neighbourhood movie theatre.' 'A neighbourhood movie house refers to a smaller-scale, local theatre situated in a residential area,' staff said. 'Constructed in 1947, the ByTowne features typical elements of postwar neighbourhood movie houses, including a large lighted marquee, a former exterior ticket booth, as well as its two-storey massing, which was typical of the neighbourhood at the time of construction.' Nelson Theatre The Nelson Theatre opened on Rideau Street in Ottawa in 1947. The building is now the ByTowne Cinema. (City of Ottawa archives) Staff say the ByTowne Cinema has historical value, as it continues to operate as an 'independent repertory theatre.' 'The ByTowne is a landmark on Rideau Street and in Lowertown. Its prominent frontage on Rideau Street and its iconic marquee distinguishes it from surrounding contemporary buildings,' the report says. 'At night, the ByTowne's lighted marquee makes it highly visible on Rideau Street, uniquely reinforcing its status as a historic and familiar landmark on its streetscape.' Ottawa Mosque Staff are also recommending designating the Ottawa Mosque a heritage building under the Ontario Heritage Act, saying it was one of the earliest purpose-built mosque buildings in Ontario. Ottawa Mosque The Ottawa Mosque, on 251 Northwestern Ave., was built between 1973 and 1979. The Ottawa Muslim Association operates the Ottawa Mosque, which includes a library, educational programming and social services. 'It has cultural value for its design, associative, and contextual values and meets five of the nine criteria for designation,' staff say. The report says the Mosque is a 'unique and rare expression of a modernist place of worship' as the only 'modernist mosque in Ottawa.' 'The building is characteristic of the Modernist style with its simple form and use of contemporary construction materials,' staff said in the report for the committee. 'Finally, 251 Northwestern Avenue has design value as a representative example of a modernist mosque with traditional Islamic architecture features including its characteristic dome, minaret, and prayer hall with a square plan.' City staff met with the Ottawa Muslim Association last November to discuss the potential of designating the property a heritage building.
