Qualla: The Sid Williams Theatre: A Century of Reinvention in Downtown Courtenay https://qualla.com/sid-williams-theatre en-us © 2026 Bendyline Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:21:12 GMT Qualla serial false Qualla support@bendyline.com yes https://qualla.com/_res/siteimages/rsslogo.png Qualla: The Sid Williams Theatre: A Century of Reinvention in Downtown Courtenay https://qualla.com/sid-williams-theatre The Sid Williams Theatre: A Century of Reinvention in Downtown Courtenay: Introduction https://qualla.com/sid-williams-theatre/ Most theatres have one name, one identity. The building at the heart of downtown Courtenay, British Columbia, has had at least four. It opened in the 1920s as the Gaiety Theatre, became the Bickle Theatre in the 1930s, served time as an auction house when live performance couldn't pay the bills, and eventually emerged as the Sid Williams Theatre - a community-owned venue that anchors the cultural life of the Comox Valley. Each name marks a chapter in the ongoing negotiation between a small town and its ambitions for something larger than itself.

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]]> Sat, 21 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/c/0/z/4/sid-williams-theatre-wp/c0z4-the-sid-williams-theatre-a-century-of-reinvention--intro.mp3 0:06 1 full The Sid Williams Theatre: A Century of Reinvention in Downtown Courtenay: From Silent Films to the Auction Block https://qualla.com/sid-williams-theatre/ The Gaiety Theatre arrived in the 1920s as a movie house, built during the era when even small communities across British Columbia invested in purpose-built cinemas. By the 1930s, under the Bickle name, the theatre had expanded its mission. The stage hosted plays and musical even...

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]]> Sat, 21 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/c/0/z/4/sid-williams-theatre-wp/c0z4-the-sid-williams-theatre-a-century-of-reinvention--from-silent-films-to-the-auction-block.mp3 0:06 2 full The Sid Williams Theatre: A Century of Reinvention in Downtown Courtenay: Earthquake Proofing a Dream https://qualla.com/sid-williams-theatre/ In 1998, the theatre closed its doors for extensive renovations and earthquake upgrading - a practical necessity on Vancouver Island, which sits along the seismically active Cascadia subduction zone. The 1946 Vancouver Island earthquake, which toppled chimneys across the Comox Va...

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]]> Sat, 21 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/c/0/z/4/sid-williams-theatre-wp/c0z4-the-sid-williams-theatre-a-century-of-reinvention--earthquake-proofing-a-dream.mp3 0:06 3 full The Sid Williams Theatre: A Century of Reinvention in Downtown Courtenay: The Blue Circle Series https://qualla.com/sid-williams-theatre/ In 2019, the theatre launched the Blue Circle Series, a season of concerts running from September through early June that brings professional talent from across Canada to the Comox Valley. The series bridges the gap between the touring acts that might otherwise skip a town of Cou...

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]]> Sat, 21 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/c/0/z/4/sid-williams-theatre-wp/c0z4-the-sid-williams-theatre-a-century-of-reinvention--the-blue-circle-series.mp3 0:06 4 full The Sid Williams Theatre: A Century of Reinvention in Downtown Courtenay: Small Town, Big Stage https://qualla.com/sid-williams-theatre/ Patrick Emery, the theatre's technical director, has won numerous lighting design awards for his work with the Courtenay Little Theatre, the community troupe that calls the Sid Williams home. His presence speaks to something often overlooked about small-town arts venues: the tech...

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]]> Sat, 21 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/c/0/z/4/sid-williams-theatre-wp/c0z4-the-sid-williams-theatre-a-century-of-reinvention--small-town-big-stage.mp3 0:06 5 full