There is now an online peitition to save the Revue Cinema as a theatre. Add your support to the fight. Here is the text of the petition:

To: Sylvia Watson

On June 30th, The Revue Cinema (along with fellow Festival Cinemas Royal, Kingsway, Paradise and Fox) is being shutdown. Having never ceased operations as a theatre since it was built in 1911, (making it the oldest continually run theatre in Ontario) this news is especially distressing. The architectural and historical heritage The Revue represents is important to the Roncesvalles landscape and must be protected!

In its current use, the Revue Cinema acts as a community gathering point that celebrates film, culture, and the arts. Further, the Revue Cinema is a business anchor that is critical to the economic vitality of the community.

We, the undersigned, insist that no structural changes be made to the building at this historical site.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

NOTE: To access the petition, click on the red “Save the Revue Online Petition” banner in the upper right corner of this page.

Susan Flanagan provides information about the possibility of a heritage designation for the Revue Theatre. If you want to support the fight to save the Revue please take Susan’s advice and email Councillor Sylvia Watson and Mayor Miller (links below).

3. The Revue theatre is a historically important building not just for the Roncesvalles community but also for Toronto. To this end, I wrote to Councillor Watson last week asking that the building be listed on the historical inventory. With the advice of Heritage Preservation Services Councillor Watson moved a motion at City Council last week to have the building designated as a heritage property. Council adopted the motion and it will be discussed at a meeting of the Toronto Preservation Board at its June 22 meeting

While this is positive, a designation appears to confer little protection from substantive change.

4. Regardless of the above, there is a rumour that the owners are interested in selling the Revue for another use, not compatible with the historic nature of the building. However, at this point, their exact intentions are unclear. To this end, it is extremely important to email Councillor Watson to register your concern with this. I would also recommend emailing the Mayor’s office urging him to protect this building. Let’s make it known that we want to protect the integrity of our community!

Susan Flanagan
Save the Revue