The Plaza Theatre in Kensington opened as a single-screen cinema in 1935. The first movie it showed was the comedy Mr. Skitch, which adults could see for 25 cents (and children for 15 cents).The Plaza stood strong through floods and droughts, recessions and booms, its screen illuminated with new releases, art-house and independent films, until 2020, when it was forced to close after struggling to stay afloat during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This story, however, has a hero: Fatima Allie Dobrowolski. After moving to Calgary from England in 2014, Dobrowolski frequented the Plaza with her husband, David, the two of them often talking about what they would do if they ever owned such a theatre. In 2021, they got the chance to find out when Dobrowolski signed on to be the new long-term leaseholder.
Source: How Calgary’s Oldest Operating Cinema Got a New Lease on Life – Avenue Calgary