Fire at iconic theatre in The Pas considered arson, Manitoba RCMP say - Winnipeg

RCMP in The Pas, Man., are investigating a fire that destroyed a historic theatre early Monday morning.

Police were called to the Lido Theatre on Edwards Avenue in the northern Manitoba community around 4:40 a.m., and say the Office of the Fire Commissioner has determined the blaze was caused by arson.

Almost a century old, the theatre was famed as the first in Western Canada designed specifically to show films with sound. Built in 1929 in the ‘atmospheric’ style, the Lido was designed by architect Max Zev Blankstein and opened to the public in 1930.

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The theatre was closed in the early 2020s for renovations and remained shuttered due in part to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was unoccupied at the time of the fire.

RCMP continue to investigate. Anyone with information about the fire is asked to contact The Pas RCMP at 204-627-6204 or Manitoba Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.