Olde Walkerville Theatre rebounding

102-year-old Walkerville theatre reopens The theatre recently renovated to ensure its 100th anniversary could be celebrated properly. CTV Windsor’s Bob Bellacicco reports.

Walkerville historian Chris Edwards is glad to see the Olde Walkerville Theatre back open for business.

“You gotta be excited that it didn't get torn down first of all cause most of the theaters that were here are gone except for the Capitol,” he said.

The theatre opened in 1920 as a playhouse and has evolved throughout the years. It is coming out of a tough stretch because of the pandemic.

“We still had to pay bills on it of course. It's a big property here in Walkerville and no income but there's been a lot of community support,” said manager Crystal Benn.

She said the theatre has lost thousands of dollars during the pandemic with the owner putting in just as much money to renovate and refresh the 102 years old building.

New flooring and a paint job have rejuvenated the interior. The heating system has been upgraded and there is air conditioning.

“We're just excited to have people come back in and enjoy the hundred year old theatre because we didn't get to celebrate it properly,” said Benn.

Plans to celebrate their centennial were put on hold in March of 2020. Management hopes to schedule events to celebrate this summer. There’s a lot to salute including the man who built the theatre. “Howard Crane, very famous movie theatre architect.” said Edwards. “He built over 250 movie theatres so we're really fortunate to have one in Walkerville. The most famous is the Fox Theatre in Detroit.”

Shows are booked but Benn says out of town booking agents are hesitant to schedule more than one show at a time.

“Just cause they're still nervous about lockdowns, things being closed again. It's definitely slowing down the booking process for now,” Benn said.

The anticipation is to move into a better version of a new normal as the world works towards getting past the pandemic.

Edwards is thankful the building’s history is being taken care of.

“It's a very cool piece of local history and we're thrilled that it has been preserved. It's a gem,” he said.