A Theatre Near You

A Theatre Near You

150 Years of Going to the Show in Ottawa-Gatineau

8 X 10 inches, 376 pages

Alain Miguelez

AFTER READING THIS BOOK you will never again go anywhere in Ottawa or Gatineau without glancing around to note ancient façades that were once movie houses. From peep shows and nickelodeons to movie palaces and modern megaplexes, Miguelez tells the story of 150 years of "going to the show" with passion. Profusely illustrated with 315 vintage photographs and five period maps, A Theatre Near You reflects the author's insatiable quest for precision and detail.

Alain Miguelez has always been a movie buff; with rare investigative skills, he brings to light the whole story of every motion picture theatre that ever existed in the area of the nation's capital on both sides of the Ottawa River. Writing about these historic buildings and everything in them and everyone involved—from the moguls and ushers to the patrons and their communities—is a labour of love for Miguelez.

You will meet the architects of these buildings and discover all the reasons why they built them as they did. Miguelez celebrates glittering opening nights in the movie palaces, along with the disasters that sometimes bring them down. You will share the enthusiasm and excitement of entrepreneurs who build dreams that fade with the changing times, and you will see the important roles played by TV and suburbia in the story of cinema in the nation's capital, as they do across the nation.

A preeminent example of popular research exploring the arts, culture, and heritage in the nation's capital, A Theatre Near You is also a rich archival source and entertainment for people of all ages.

Alain Miguelez

Author

Alain Miguelez was born in France of Argentinean parents who emigrated to Canada’s capital in 1970. During his childhood, Alain had the good fortune to travel to Argentina, Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, France, Spain, California, as well as most of Eastern Canada. Inspired by his parent’s urban culture, he developed a passion for cities and history, and has continued travelling and enjoying the world’s beautiful cities as often as possible. Alain studied urban planning at the Université de Montréal and has worked as a planner almost continuously since graduating in 1994. Through a variety of jobs including working as a tour guide on Parliament Hill, at a hardware store, as a festival security guard, at a corner store, driving tour buses, DJ’ing in bars, and writing the occasional op-ed piece for the neighbourhood newspaper, Alain has come to know his city well. He currently works for the City of Ottawa as an urban planner and lives in Sandy Hill.