ByTowne Cinema, Ottawa Mosque heritage designations given committee approval
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.
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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.
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'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.
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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.
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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.'
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'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.
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'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.'
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City staff told the committee this week that the ByTowne stood as 'a landmark' on Rideau Street and in Lowertown.
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'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.'
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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.
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Ottawa Citizen
13-05-2025
- 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.
CTV News
09-05-2025
- 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.
CBC
04-01-2025
- CBC
Group readies Centretown mosque in former church and heritage centre
A local Muslim group is bringing new life to a historic building near downtown Ottawa. Muhammad Suliman, Al-Hassan Jouali and other community members are refurbishing the interior of 397 Kent St. as what they're calling Centretown Mosque. The large building, located at the corner of Florence Street, was previously home to the First United Church of Ottawa and, more recently, the Ottawa Chinese-Canadian Heritage Centre. The new group's plan is to convert the main hall, where light streams in from tall windows and a stained-glass porthole above a stage, to a main prayer space in time for Ramadan, the month of prayer and fasting that will begin this year on Feb. 28. For the moment, another room on the main floor, which will ultimately be converted into a gym, is being used for prayer. Multi-purpose space The mosque will also serve as a youth centre and gathering space for people of all faiths. It will become the city's first major mosque in the downtown area, according to Jouali, a local business owner of 39 years. "We've seen a lot of Muslim community centres and mosques open all around the outskirts of Ottawa ... But [the] downtown core has been ignored," Jouali said. The building's owners have given the group until October to make their final payment, Jouali added, allowing for a phased approach to their plans. The closest thing to a downtown masjid is The Ottawa Mosque in Tunney's Pasture, where Suliman served as imam until he and the Ottawa Muslim Association parted ways in late 2023. All other Muslim prayer spaces also fall outside the downtown core. "It doesn't matter where [people] pray," Suliman said when asked about his departure from The Ottawa Mosque. "Opening a new mosque is not against the existing mosques. We all are working on one mission and one vision: to promote peace and to help Canadians who live here." The building has also been known as Trillium Hall. It was built in 1911 for $33,000 (in those days' dollars) as the new home of the First United Church of Ottawa, according to David Flemming, the chair of the Heritage Ottawa Advocacy Committee. The congregation moved to a small church in Westboro in 2007, paving the way for the Ottawa Chinese-Canadian Heritage Centre. "It has a legacy," Suliman said of the building. "It's a place where people can find support and help. It doesn't matter who you are. It doesn't matter which faith you have." The removal of the interior seating from the main hall would not be considered a major alteration to the building, whose interior is not protected under the Ontario Heritage Act, according to Flemming.
