The property upon which the Capitol
was built was purchased in 1927 by
Louis Rosenbaum, a Sturgeon Falls
businessman. He began building the
structure and, when he ran out of
funds, he sold it to Famous Players
Canadian Corporation. They opened
the Capitol Theatre on June 1st, 1929. The Capitol had 1455 seats and was referred to as “a palace of splendor”
had been elaborately decked out with Spanish lights and décor.
The movie that was shown to the sold out grand opening crowd was, In Old Arizona.
It was the first all-talking Fox feature movie, a western starring Edmund Lowe, Warren Baxter and Dorothy Burgess.
It was in the Capitol Theatre that Roy Thomson, Lord Thomson of Fleet, started his media empire with the opening of his first radio station,
CFCH, on March 3, 1931. It was also the movie house that the Dionne Quints frequented on many Friday nights.
The 80’s saw a decline in movie audiences and there was a fear that the building was going to be chopped up into smaller theaters
or sold to a non-entertainment interest. During this same time, a group in North Bay known as TACC, the North Bay “Theatre and Arts Community Centre”
was looking for space to use for major stage productions, studios, etc. Betty Speers, known as “The Lady of the Arts” was spearheading this association
of over 40 arts related groups and individuals. She led TACC and the community on a determined drive to save the Capitol.
On December 19, 1985, Betty signed the cheque to purchase the building from Famous Players.
Over the following two years, the Capitol underwent major renovations that saw the removal of over 400 seats to make room for a reception
room and a restructuring to include a state-of-the-art art gallery known as the WKP Kennedy Gallery.
The Capitol had its grand reopening as the North Bay Arts Centre on April 2, 1987. The evening’s entertainment was provided
by well-known singer Maureen Forrester, the Nylons and Don Harron as Charlie Farquharson.
In 1997, the name was changed to the Capitol Centre. It continues to provide North Bay and surrounding communities with
quality arts and entertainment. Reminders of its origins still remain today in the form of the Spanish Galaxy motifs that adorn the theatre walls
and one of the original Spanish chandeliers that hang above the stairs that rise up to the balcony.
Since its reopening, the Capitol centre has seen such greats as Johnny Cash, Phyllis Diller, Brenda Lee, Roy Orbison, and Jack Klugman; performances
by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra; Broadway shows and international productions.
The WKP Kennedy Gallery provides a wonderful venue for local, as well as international, visual arts shows in a wide variety of media.
The Capitol Centre is truly our home for Arts and Entertainment.