Kensington’s Plaza Theatre set to reopen under new ownership

CALGARY – The new owner of the historic Plaza Theatre in Kensington is hoping the community mainstay will bring a much-needed economic boost to the area.

The owners are trying something fresh to help bring in a new generation of movie-goers.

Back in 1927, the Plaza Theatre was actually a working garage where local mechanics repaired Model A Fords and Packard Twin Roadsters.

Then in 1935, it was converted into a movie theatre where people lined up to see the latest box office hits.

The 86-year-old was shut down due to the pandemic but is now being reimagined and reopened.

Fatima Allie Dobrowolski, the new owner, says she was taken by the building’s presence and didn’t want to see it go to waste.

“We spent a lot of time kind of dreaming kind of like pipe dreams of what we do with it?” she shared.

“Even just walking past you know it stood out as just an interesting building.”

But she says eventually, she jumped on it and the stars aligned.

“It kind of wasn’t a last-minute decision, a lot of things had to line up for it to be the right time.”

Dobrowolski says she doesn’t believe cinema is dead and now is the right time to reopen the theatre and welcome friendly faces back in.

“There’s nothing really that compares to sitting in a room full of strangers that anticipation when a person, you’re doing something with people laughing at the same time. And there’s nothing really that replicates that.”

She also says food will be an important part of the new plaza, and there will be a permanent spot for a food truck right outside the doors.

The plaza will re-open this fall showing the classics and independent films.