Uncovering Burnaby: Remembering the Dolphin Cinema Theatre

Do you remember Burnaby’s last independent theatre?

The Dolphin Cinema Theatre was located in the Burnaby Heights neighbourhood at 4555 Hastings St. and was considered a local gem.

It opened in 1966, and operated as a 430-seat double-screen theatre.

The theatre was also unique because it did not use digital projection, relying on traditional film instead.

For years, the Dolphin Theatre was known as a community hub and a great place for family outings.

While other theatres could get expensive with the cost of tickets and snacks, the Dolphin was known for its toonie Tuesday movie nights and cheap general admission tickets.

At one point, the theatre also served as a temporary place of worship for Calvary Chapel Burnaby’s Sunday morning service, as reported in the Burnaby Now in 2013.

But like all good things, the Dolphin’s run sadly came to an end, and it permanently closed on May 27, 2014.

The building that housed the theatre was being rezoned for a four-storey mixed-use development.

Rahim Manji, who took ownership of the theatre in 2010, also confessed that business was slowing down.

In a 2014 interview with The Georgia Straight, Manji noted that the toonie Tuesdays were popular but did not do enough to help the theatre financially.

Rents were also high and Manji admitted that the building’s landlords “bent over backwards” to help keep the Dolphin operating.

Patrons were saddened to hear of the theatre’s closure. The community rallied together and created a Save the Dolphin Cinema Theatre Facebook page to show support for the business.

Prior to its closing, Manji mentioned that there was some hope that the Dolphin could relocate to another part of the city.

Unfortunately, that did not happen and despite the outpouring of support from the community, the days of the much-loved neighbourhood theatre came to an end.