1904 – Dominion Theatre, Portage Avenue East, Winnipeg, Canada
The Dominion Theatre opened as a vaudeville house on 12 December 1904. Fire was a permanent fear for theatre companies and early cinemas, and this solid brick building had a 1,100-seat auditorium on the main floor, and both its balcony and gallery were equipped with steel fire escapes. It also had a self-contained electric lighting system and a steam heating apparatus, features that complied with new public safety regulations. Towards the end of its life, the Classically inspired facade was stuccoed over, and it also served as a movie theatre. The Dominion was Manitoba Theatre Company’s home for a decade, until its demolition in late 1968 to make way for the Lombard Centre.
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Published March 16, 2026
