Comments on: Lynn Valley’s Cedar V Theatre

By: Melinda Harman

Melinda Harman — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 03:54:40 +0000

I remember going to the Cedar Theatre when I was a child back in the sixties. Usually it was to a matinee on the weekend with my sister. My mom would drop us off, I guess for a break for her.
The theatre was always busy at weekend matinees. I remember especially the birthday announcements and the gifts given to kids who’s birthday it was. I remember the beautiful usherette outfits and all the kind theatre staff. I remember the ‘crying room’ for moms with babies.
One memory I have is when ‘Chitty Chitty Bang’ was playing. My mom dropped my sister and I off but the movie was sold out. There was a second showing so my sister and I wanted to wait the two hours in the line.
My mom was so concerned she drove home to make us sandwiches to eat while waiting and brought them to us.
Loved the movie. Missed the theatre when it was gone. I think the last movie I saw there was ‘Yellow Submarine’. Love the memories!

By: Rob Williams

Rob Williams — Mon, 27 May 2024 21:00:31 +0000

My family moved to our new house in Lynn Valley in Apr 1955. My friends and I used to go to the Sat matinee every week. The theatre was posh and big – a lobby with a thick red rug and 2 chesterfields with a stairway leading upstairs. The Chizens lived in the suite upstairs. It was not located on the corner of Mtn Hwy and LV Rd because the corner was taken up by an apartment building which was later torn down to accommodate the Gulf gas station. The Cedar V was situated about halfway between Mtn Hwy and Ross rd. The admission for a Sat matinee was 15 cents so my 25 cent allowance was enough to get a ticket, hot dog and pop.

By: Sharon[larsen]

Sharon[larsen] — Mon, 13 May 2024 19:03:26 +0000

In reply to Shirley Collins. Thanks for all this information on the cedar v I remember fondly going there it had a such an atmosphere when you walked in is there any photos of inside the lobby I'm not sure what year we used to go there but it was definitely in the '60s thanks again

By: Brian Smith

Brian Smith — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 08:26:35 +0000

Wonderful and poignant memories of the Cedar theatre. I lived in upper Lonsdale, but made it over 29th hill to visit the theatre once or twice as a boy. Thanks Eve and all contributors. Great article !

By: Scott Gray

Scott Gray — Sun, 18 Jun 2023 07:37:20 +0000

I just found out that my birth dad (Im adopted) lived in the Cedar upstairs in 1967. His aunt and uncle were the Chizens. I now live in Lynn Valley and somehow feel more connected to the community – my great aunt and uncle were Jean and Steve Chizen.

By: E. Smith

E. Smith — Sun, 28 May 2023 19:24:47 +0000

In reply to C. Rhone. Omigosh! It was the most glorious sight when we were teens! A parent from the Cove would fill a car with excited kids and drop us off to stand in long lines to get our tickets to see a show. Then they would pick us all up at the end. There was no bus to Lynn Valley from Deep Cove. When I saw this history photo of it, I saw what I saw back then. Just heart warming!

By: C. Rhone

C. Rhone — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 13:16:09 +0000

What an eyesore that theatre was!

By: Nancy Shamley

Nancy Shamley — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 21:56:43 +0000

The Chizen’s home was upstairs. My Mom and Dad were very good friends with them. They had amazing themed New Years Eve parties held in the lobby. My Mom was head usherette and chose the Palazzo styled pants that the usherettes wore. She got to keep the hotdog machine (still works) after the Chizen’s decided to sell! Every Saturday I would walk from the Dorothy Hunter school of dance to go see a movie( Mom’s day to work) and 25 cents bought me a hot dog, bag of chips and a drink! I have so many wonderful memories of the Cedar V.

By: Shirley Collins

Shirley Collins — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 03:11:41 +0000

In reply to Don. You have given the best detail on the subject of the Cedar V. Yes, fencing was absent in Lynn Canyon.Thank-you Don. Our family with our grandparents McCondach moved to Kilkenny Rd in Westlynn Terrace in Jan. 1961 when I was 12. In the years before I was of age to work at The Bay, I used my Citizen paper route money to pay admission. I saw all the Elvis movies plus. I liked collecting the baseball cards with gum and a movie star picture inside. Those same stars would be featured in movies at the Cedar V. I loved going to the movies and still go weekly to the movie theatre.

By: Susan

Susan — Sun, 26 Mar 2023 23:22:08 +0000

In reply to Don. And Pep Chew’s and Horseshoe suckers were 5 cents. A good buy as they were slow to eat, and one could carry you through a movie.

By: Susan Croome Croome

Susan Croome Croome — Sun, 26 Mar 2023 23:21:01 +0000

In reply to Don. And Pep Chew’s and Horseshoe suckers were 5 cents. A good buy as they were slow to eat, and one could carry you through a movie.

By: J+Hutchison

J+Hutchison — Sun, 26 Mar 2023 21:43:07 +0000

Once again an amazing history lesson ,never new of the theatre but love its history

By: Linda Boyd

Linda Boyd — Sun, 26 Mar 2023 19:28:17 +0000

Lot’s of happy memories. Root Beer flavoured Horseshoe suckers. When I had extra babysitting money saved, maybe one of the rotisserie Hot Dogs. The shocker movie, was Last Tango in Paris. How I saw this underage is a foggy memory. I remember a certain scene shut up even one of the meanest LV boys.

By: Irene Harlow

Irene Harlow — Sun, 26 Mar 2023 17:58:12 +0000

It was always an exciting weekend when Mum would drive myself and my little sister to a Cedar V matinee. We were in elementary school (late 50s – early 60s), but felt so grown up and a tad scared too, going to a movie without her. I remember one weekend there weren’t enough seats for all the kids who showed up and some of them had to sit on upturned 5 gallon buckets in the aisle!

By: Cj banner

Cj banner — Sun, 26 Mar 2023 17:15:54 +0000

We don’t value our heritage for various reasons. Most born elsewhere, property values, etc. Thanks for the look back at the good old days.

By: Judith Stark

Judith Stark — Sun, 26 Mar 2023 01:55:43 +0000

Hi, Liz;
Another excellent article – thank you! And although you may now know this, there were a number of smaller-than-the-Cedar V-Quonset huts set out on the UBC Campus after WW2. I had the impression that they originally belonged to the Canadian Military and that UBC used them to house certain burgeoning faculties such as Botany while awaiting the time and money to provide permanent buildings.

By: Tracy

Tracy — Sat, 25 Mar 2023 17:28:41 +0000

So nice to read about history. Thx

By: Derek

Derek — Sat, 25 Mar 2023 17:26:49 +0000

Eve, thanks for this memory. I grew up in Lynn Valley became a teen in the 70’s there. I played a lot of sports as a kid and our baseball team sponsor was Cedar Theatre. We also went to see movies there often. The 70’s photo of the theatre brings back so many memories of that time and place. I also like your thought of placing plaques around LV in memory of places gone. Thanks for reminding us all of what came before.

By: Zoe Napier-Hemy

Zoe Napier-Hemy — Sat, 25 Mar 2023 17:17:22 +0000

I recall going to a few movies at the Cedar V, perhaps between the ages of 6 – 10. It was a wonderful treat in several ways! Firstly, the lobby – a couple of red ( I think ) velvet, oval shaped lounging couches, with a post in the centre. A snack bar to die for, all kinds of sweets, popcorn and drinks. The ushers wore green satin 2 piece outfits. The pants were flared. My school mate’s mother was one of the ushers, who lived near my house. I remember seeing a few movies with Elvis in them, super!! After the movie ended, prizes were given out. I was never the recipient, however it was a delightful, exciting idea. On a more serious note, I recall one of the boys had an epileptic seizure in the aisle of the theatre. Movies were 25 cents at the time, back in the early 60’s.

By: Don

Don — Sat, 25 Mar 2023 17:16:36 +0000

Wow! Great article Eve, brings back many memories. I first went to the Cedar V when I was in grade 3 at Eastview Elementary and saw “The Three Hundred Spartens” which was a topic of our early education. It cost 15 cents and hot dogs were also 15 cents, pop corn was 10 cents and a pop was 8 cents. In those days the gas station next door was known as Jack’s BA. There were two gas stations in Lynn Valley, Jack’s BA and Johnny’s Shell on the corner of 27th and Mountain Hwy where the Esso is now. And, Janz’s general store stood where the bike shop and hair salon is now. We’d turn in our pop bottles for two cents and get three candies for a penny.

Most of the side streets were gravel back then and as six and seven year olds we would ride our bikes all over, including in the Lynn Canyon trails where there weren’t any fences and trails went right up to the edge of the canyon.

I still live near Lynn Canyon Park and have spent most of my life and raised my family in this amazing part of the world.