To celebrate my dad this past Father’s Day, my mom came up with a brilliant idea for a gift for him; she saw online that there was a screening of the 1958 film Bullitt playing at a theatre in Hamilton called The Westdale, and purchased tickets for her, me, and my dad.
My dad is a gearhead, hence why the movie in question was such a great choice. I’m planning on writing a separate post about the movie, so don’t fret if you wish to learn more about it.
None of us had been to this theatre before, so we weren’t entirely sure what to expect. Prior to the film beginning, there were a few slides depicting the history of the theatre, and because it is so interesting, I wanted to share it with all of you. Check out this blurb from thewestdale.ca:
“The Westdale screens art and independent films, and provides an intimate cultural space for public performances and exhibitions, showcasing Canadian and world content. The Westdale is a fully licensed and fully accessible theatre with described video and closed captioning technology.
“The Westdale Theatre has been an important part of Westdale (Canada’s first planned neighbourhood) since it opened in 1935. It was the first theatre in Hamilton built expressly to show sound motion pictures. The theatre remained in operation until it was put up for sale in December of 2016. The newly incorporated Westdale Cinema Group (WCG) submitted an offer to purchase the building that was accepted on January 27, 2017.
“The full purchase and restoration budget was raised in Hamilton, by Hamiltonians, both residents and the City of Hamilton. After over 18 months of restoration and modernization of services (washrooms, wheelchair access, heating and air conditioning, etc.), the theatre reopened its doors on February 14th, 2019 as a cultural hub showcasing films, talks, music, performance and special events,” the web page explains.
This was one of the coolest theatres I have ever been to in the sense that it is so full of character. If you’ve never been, consider this your sign to do so.
Photo by Kilyan Sockalingum on Unsplash
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