The art deco-style Westdale Theatre was built in 1935 as the first cinema in Hamilton equipped to show “talkies” – motion pictures with sound. It is the architectural centrepiece of North Oval in Westdale Village, Hamilton's first garden-city suburb, and one of the earliest examples in Canada. The distinctive oval-shaped commercial core is surrounded by curved streets with arts and crafts- and modern-style houses. In 2016, this local landmark was destined to be sold to developers, but a group of arts and culture-minded Hamiltonians decided to save it and revitalize it as a cinematic, artistic and community arts hub. After extensive renovations, The Westdale was reborn as a stunningly refurbished art deco single-screen state-of-the-art multidisciplinary arts presentation space. You can still see the original marquee letters mounted inside. As part of Digital Doors Open, check out their extensive selection of YouTube videos to learn more.