Ross Lavigne/CHAT News

By Jesse Gill

IN THE COMMUNITY

Exterior renovations set to continue on Medicine Hat’s Monarch Theatre

Mar 5, 2025 | 6:11 PM

Exterior renovations to Medicine Hat’s historic Monarch Theatre will resume this spring to bring the theatre back to how it looked in 1940.

Janessa Anderson, a volunteer and coordinator at the theatre, said it’s all part of their $1.15 million conservation project.

“Now that it’s starting to thaw and spring’s just around the corner, we’re going to finish the tile work at the front of the theater,” Anderson said.

“To finish off that front facade, and then hopefully get the awning, so the marquee, complete,” she added.

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“We’ll be updating that, and then that’ll finish the front of the building.”

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READ: Monarch Theatre continues to get back to historic roots

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The theatre is operational, and has been showing movies and running events as they look to continue to chip away at their conservation project.

With a list of intervention items identified and timeline put on when they would like to see each item done.

“It is a large project to take on, but it’s broken out into a few different conservation items,” Anderson said.

“We want to eventually fix the roof and do some repairs there and that one’s about $250,000,” he added.

“Each of them, when you break them down, it’s a little bit smaller, a little bit more attainable than putting the full million dollar price tag on it, but we will get there.”

With the Monarch 1911 Society taking over ownership of the building in the fall of 2023, the project started in the spring of 2024.

Anderson said ideally they would love to have things done in the next four years, but it’s all subject to financing.

“The more programming we do, more people that come through our doors, more rentals we have, as well as donations that come in or any grant funding down the line, will obviously help complete all of our intervention items so that we’re fully restored,” Anderson said.

The Monarch operations are run fully by volunteers, they will have Bohemian Rhapsody showing this Friday, with a number of upcoming shows in the 402 seat theatre in downtown Medicine Hat.

The theatre is cash only, with admission for movies generally at $5. That’s also the same cost for a pop and popcorn.

A full listing of movies and events at the theatre can be found on its social media pages, or at themonarchtheatre.ca.