What was the Ouimetoscope?

The 'Ouimetoscope' was the first Canadian theatre dedicated exclusively to showing movies.

Inaugurated on January 1, 1906 at the corner of Saint Catherine and Montcalm Streets, in Montreal, Canada from a converted cabaret with 500 seats and a small screen, it was demolished to be replaced with a luxurious 1,200 seat movie palace that featured air conditioning.

Until 1922, the 'Ouimetoscope' was the venue for French and American cinema supplemented with local production, accompanied by live musicians.

Encouraged by earlier success at showing moving pictures with a projector of his devising, electrical engineer Léo-Ernest Ouimet invested his life savings of $75 into converting an ailing cabaret theatre in Montreal's downtown into the first theatre dedicated to showing moving pictures of Canada, the 'Ouimetoscope'. Despite the small screen, the theatre was an instant success, keeping its 500 seats filled at every showing.

One year later, he reinvested his profits to construct a 1,200 seat amphitheatre with plush seating and air conditioning, a rarity at the time, making it one of the very first movie palaces. Financial difficulties forced Ouimet to sell the 'Ouimetoscope' in 1922, and it finally closed its' doors in 1924.

In 1967, the theatre 'Le Canadien' that occupied the same location would again take the name 'Ouimetoscope' and show repertory cinema until 1992 when it was abandoned. A plaque honouring Léo-Ernest Ouimet and his theatre is now all that remains.