‘Gem of Fort Macleod’: Historic Empress Theatre reopens after months of renovations

A historic theatre in Fort Macleod, Alta., is getting set to host its first concert Friday, since undergoing a six-month renovation.

The historic Empress Theatre in Fort Macleod, Alta., is getting set to welcome patrons back after nearly seven months of renovations.

More than $200,000 in work has been completed.

Madison Violet, a Canadian Juno-nominated female musical duo, is set to perform the first show post-renovations on Friday evening.

“We had the floors completely redone. Initially, we wanted to refinish them, but as it got going into that process, we quickly found out that wasn’t going to work—the floors were just too old,” said Jackie Nelson, president of the Empress Theatre Society.

“The seat frames are the same, but we did recushion them, respring them and they’ve got new fabric on them.”

The Empress also has new carpets installed, renovated bathrooms in the basement and a fresh coat of paint to breathe new life into the space.

“It was built in 1912, so it’s gone through few minor changes throughout the years, but it was just time,” said Nelson.

“The renovations have been in the works for a while, and this was the year to get it done.”

When it first opened, the Empress served as an opera house before transitioning into a movie theatre.

Today, the space can seat about 270 people and is used for movies, concerts, parties and more.

To help with the cost of renovations, the society launched a “Save Our Seats” campaign with a goal to raise $250,000.

To date, Nelson says just over $200,000 has been raised, with the fundraiser still open.

“We are so grateful to our patrons,” said Nelson.

“We have the Government of Alberta help with their grants, the Town of Fort Macleod, local businesses. We’ve been really blessed with the amount of charity that people have been giving to the theatre.

“We couldn’t have done it without them.”

The province provided $125,000, while the society was able to raise $60,000 from past fundraisers.

“Quite often, (our) visitors will spend more time downtown visiting the restaurants, doing some shopping before the show, so everyone benefits,” said Shayla Farough, secretary with the Fort Macleod and District Chamber of Commerce.

The historic theatre has also contributed to growing the town’s tourism industry and attracting people from across the world.

While the old seats and flooring are out, Nelson says the charm remains.

“The locals call it the gem of Fort Macleod,” she said.

“So, we’re excited to have it back open and have people back in the chairs.”