List of Ottawa-Gatineau cinemas


This is a list of movie theatres that have existed in the Ottawa & Gatineau, Canada region.

Current cinemas

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NameLocationOpening dateScreensArcadeNotesImage
Cinéma 9Boulevard Maloney & De l'HopitalMid-1990s9Plays usually the French version of movies since StarCite in Hull was opened.
Cinéma AylmerGaleries d'Aylmer4Arcade and loud volume dropped from theatre to cater to special needs audience.
IMAXCanadian Museum of History2Both the largest screen and the only 70mm film IMAX theatre in the Ottawa-Gatineau region. A recent renovation has split the space into two screens, one of which can only play 70mm IMAX 2D features while the other can also play IMAX Dome and IMAX 3D features. The dome itself is designed to be mechanically retracted into the ceiling to permit the broadcast of traditional IMAX 2D and IMAX 3D features.
StarCité HullLe PlateauLate 1990s16Formerly owned by Famous Players, it was sold along with 6 other Quebec locations to Fortune Cinemas in 2006 to satisfy a regulatory requirement to complete the merger with Cineplex Entertainment. In 2010, Cineplex Entertainment acquired the assets of the bankrupt Fortune Cinemas chain, including StarCite Hull and the 6 other former Cineplex theatres previously divested.

Defunct

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NameLocationDatesScreensNotesImage
Airport Drive-InMcCarthy Road at Hunt Club Road1970–19973It opened on May 15, 1970, and closed fall of 1997. It had 3 screens and could hold approximately 1160 cars. It has been torn down and is now a national airport parking service lot.
Aladdin Drive-In4004 Albion Road1949–19951It had room for approximately 480 cars. It is now an empty field.
Auto Sky Drive-InFisher and Baseline Road1949–1981After the drive-in closed, a housing development was built on the vacant land.
The AvalonBank Street in the Glebe1928–19561November 17, 1928-July 1947. The Avalon had 876 seats.
Renamed Glebe August 22, 1947 – October 17, 1956. Now a hardware store.
Bennett's Vaudeville TheatreSparks Street just west of Bank1906-19211In 1907, it became the first place in Ottawa to regularly show films.
Britannia Drive-In3090 Carling Avenue1949–19972It was the last Drive-In in Ottawa when it closed in 1997. The Coliseum is built on its location.
Britannia 63090 Carling Avenue1977–19986The theatre and its parking lot were built on the land between the street and the back side of the screen for the Britannia Drive-In. The building was torn down after the Coliseum opened.
Capitol Cinema90 Bank Street1920–19701Originally opened as Loews Theatre, the Capitol was Ottawa's largest and most ornate cinema for many decades. It opened in 1920 and was demolished in 1970. it had approximately 2,528 seats, the most ever for an Ottawa theatre. Live theatrical productions and live musical performances such as Louis Armstrong, the Who, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Jimi Hendrix and Cream took place on its stage. Its auditorium was often used for political conventions. In 1964 there were plans to split it into 2 screens but this never happened. When the National Arts Centre was built, there was no longer any need for the Capitol's stage and auditorium to be used for live theatre or concerts.
Capitol Square Cinemas230 Queen Street1972–19993The Capitol Square 3 opened around 1972 and closed in 1999. It was operated by Famous Players.
Eastview TheatreMontreal Road Closed as a cinema in the 1950s, the building was used as a post office and then as an electrical parts store until demolished in the 1960s to be replaced in the 1970s by the building that housed the Vanier Cinema.
Elgin Theatre216 Elgin Street1937–19941, later 2The Elgin opened in 1937 and 10 years later, a second theatre named the Little Elgin was opened next to it in the same building. Before closing in 1994, the two theatres were called the Elgin 1 and Elgin 2. The Elgin/Little Elgin was the first twin movie theatre in Canada.
Elmdale Theatre1196 Wellington Street West1947–19941It opened on September 9, 1947, and was twinned on October 23, 1981. It closed on August 25, 1994. It is now a church of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World congregation.
Landmark CinemasWorld Exchange Plaza, 111 Albert Street, 3rd Floor1991–20137Opened as Cineplex Odeon Exchange Centre Cinemas with an unknown number of theatres in 1991, it expanded to seven theatres in 1994 with a mix of mainstream and independent films. It was sold to Empire Theatres in 2005 as a condition of the Cineplex and Famous Players merger. Empire Theatres ran the theatre until late October, 2013 when its assets were purchased by Cineplex Entertainment and Landmark Cinemas. Landmark Cinemas procured the lease for the location and reopened the cinema on October 31, 2013 however they let the lease for the space expire on December 31, 2013. Despite rumours that a different theatre operator would reopen the location as a cinema, which were fuelled by the impending 2018 opening of the OC Transpo Confederation Line and its direct integration into the World Exchange Plaza via Parliament LRT Station, the landlord decided to renovate the former theatre and lobby spaces. On January 24, 2017, it was announced that Klipfolio dashboard would open corporate offices in the place of the old cinema.
Flower Theatre128 Sparks Street1914 - 19181Owned by N.L. Nathanson. It is said to have had a retractable roof. In 1918, Nathanson sold it to Paramount, who renamed it The Strand.
Français TheatreOn the West side of Dalhousie Street between George Street and York Street.R. E. Maynard owned the Français, which had 999 seats. It was very popular with the kids during Saturday afternoon performances. They called the theatre "Frog". It served as Ottawa's French language cinema until the 1960s when it was closed for repairs for many years and eventually demolished to make way for the construction of a Holiday Inn.
Gaiety Theatre45 Rideau StreetClosed in late 1912.According to the Ottawa Journal, 20 April 1912 the Gaiety Theatre and lot were sold to Mr. D. Chambers, furnisher, of 55 Rideau St. for $2,500 for the purposes of extending his store.
Gloucester FiveGloucester Centre, 1980 Ogilvie RoadClosed in late March 2001.5Each of this cinema's auditoriums was named instead of numbered. According to an article in the Ottawa Citizen of March 21, 2001, the Gloucester Five's closure was largely due to its proximity to Silvercity Gloucester.
Imperial TheatreBank Street1914–1950sIs today home to Barrymore's.
Linden Theatre5 Beechwood Avenue1947–1968Became the Towne Cinema in the 1970s and was eventually converted into a sports equipment store and then a drug store. For 25 cents on weekends, one could see five movies.
Mall Theatre116 Sparks Street1915–19731Originally The Centre Theatre which had 998 seats. It had no stairs to reach the upper seats, just ramps. During the second World War, a royal box was set up for Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, which was occupied by Nazi Germany. In June 1968 the theatre was renamed Mall and shown adult movies.
Nelson Cinema325 Rideau Street1947–September 18, 19881The Nelson Cinema occupied 940 seats. It closed in 1988 and was renovated and re-opened in 1989 as The ByTowne Cinema.
Odeon Theatreon West side of Bank Street between Slater Street and Laurier Avenue.A coal gas explosion in an office building behind the Odeon happened on October 25, 1958, killing 2 and destroying the back end of the theatre only hours before the cinema was to have been filled with Ottawa children for a Saturday morning of films for school safety patrols. As many as 600 could be killed had this been a working day.
Phoenix413 Bank StreetClosed in 19911Operated by Cineplex Odeon, this theatre specialized in foreign films such as La historia official. The theatre was demolished shortly after it closed, and has been a gravel parking lot ever since. Also known as Clarey and Fern.
Place de Ville CinemasPlace de Ville's underground shopping complex, 300 Sparks Street1971–19962Operated by Famous Players. According to an Ottawa Citizen article of August 14, 1999, these theatres still exist but remain empty and unused. In the fall of 2010 the former cinema space was occupied by an exhibition company and public exhibits such as the Titanic and Body Works were on display. The theatre is rumoured to re-open with the impending operation of the OC Transpo Confederation Line bringing many prospective customers directly to the underground complex of Place de Ville, which is directly connected to the future Lyon LRT Station.
Queensway Drive-InMontreal Road & Queensway East1964–19852Operated by Odeon. Now the site of an industrial park.
Regent TheatreBank and Sparks1916–19721Currently the site of the Bank of Canada complex. In 1928 became the first theatre in Ottawa to play films with sound. It had 1056 seats.
Rexy Theatre136 Lorne Street / 777 Somerset Street WestClosedOpened as the Rex Theatre in 1914, in one of Ottawa's blue-collar neighbourhoods west of downtown, this theatre had the unusual distinction of being located on a residential side street.
Originally a small 300-seat nickelodeon, in 1927 it was renamed Rexy Theatre and completely remodelled into an atmospheric theatre. Seating was then expanded to 750 and a new front entrance was added on the main Somerset Street West, through the purchase of a retail space in an adjacent building.
It catered to the neighbourhood with B-movies and kids' serials until TV took its toll. The Rexy Theatre closed in 1954 and was demolished in 1956. The entrance was moved to 777 Somerset West in 1925.
Rialto413 Bank Street1943–19911Opened by Odeon Theatres in 1943. Through the 1970s it fell into hard times, and was known colloquially as "the Rat Hole" due to a rodent infestation. It was purchased by Cineplex Odeon, renamed "The Phoenix," closed and quickly demolished in 1991. As of August 2017, it was a parking lot on Bank Street.
Rideau Centre CinemasRideau Centre, 50 Rideau Street1983–20133Opened as Famous Players Rideau in 1983, it was sold to Empire Theatres in 2005 as a condition of the Cineplex and Famous Players merger. It was located on the top level of the Rideau Centre and targeted the teenage demographic, showing mostly PG-13 first-run movies. Empire ceased operations at this theatre on March 21, 2013, shortly before the massive Rideau Centre expansion and redevelopment began. As part of the renovations the entire theatre space was gutted and is now used as the second floor of La Maison Simons.
Rideau Theatre160 Rideau Street1915–19821Located on Rideau Street immediately to the west of where Dalhousie St. once ended. The building still stands and is divided into various retail stores and the theatre space is now occupied by the Bourbon Room nightclub. The long rectangular lobby of the Rideau Theatre was originally the Palace Theatre. The Palace Theatre became the lobby of the Rideau Theatre when a new auditorium was built behind the original Palace Theatre.
Somerset Theatre386 Somerset Street West1937–20001It was demolished soon after to accommodate an expansion of a supermarket and its parking complex.
Star-Top Drive-In1400 Cyrville Road1949–1975Opened in 1951 on Cyrville Road. It closed in 1974.
Strand Theatre 128 Sparks Street1918–19211Was opened originally, by N.L. Nathanson, as the Flower Theatre. In 1918, Nathanson sold it to Paramount, who renamed it The Strand.
Strand Theatre 1265 Bank Street1950–19541After closing it became a bingo parlour, which was demolished in 2002 and replaced by a donut shop.
Vanier Cineplex150 Montreal Road1980–1990s7This Cineplex Odeon theatre was located in a small shopping mall. It was a second-run theatre before closing in the mid 1990s.
Westboro Theatre381 Richmond Road1941–1955Now home to the Ottawa Carleton Mortgage Inc.
Westgate CinemaWestgate Shopping Centre, 1309 Carling Avenue1980–19993The theatre showed first run movies for most of its existence and second run movies for two dollars before it closed in 1999. Currently occupied by a software development company that still uses one of the cinemas for meetings and presentations.

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NameLocationYears activeScreensArcadeNotesImage
Cinéma Place-Cartier119 Place du Portage1937–1991It was the grandest cinema in the Outaouais. It was sold by Famous Players in 1968 and became a pornography theatre before it was purchased by the City of Hull in order to put it out of business. Currently the offices of a training company.
Cinéma Place-Cartier425 Boulevard St. Joseph?–Early 1980sExploitation grindhouse.
Ciné-Parc Templeton1779 Boulevard Maloney EstEarly 1990s-20192A drive-in theater that featured both English and French films playing simultaneously on 2 separate screens. The theater announced its closure prior to the 2019 season, with equipment being transferred to a theater located in Val-Morin.
Pussycat Cinema424 Boulevard St. Joseph?–Early 1980sPornography cinema.
Cinéma l'Amour569 Boulevard St. Joseph?–Early 1980sPornography cinema.
Cinéma de Paris185 rue Laval1949–1986Now Mon Chez Nous.
Ciné-Starz GatineauLes Promenades de l'Outaouais?–20134