Ilo Ilo Theatre — Cumberland, BC
Posted by: 
Dunbar Loop
N 49° 37.124 W 125° 01.856
10U E 353306 N 5498221
The Ilo Ilo Theatre, built in 1914 and rebuilt in 1932, is undergoing phased restoration to revive its historic role as a cultural venue in Cumberland after decades of disuse.
Waymark Code: WM1C6BP
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 06/14/2025
Views: 0
ILO ILO THEATRE
Opened as an Opera House in 1914, the Ilo Ilo soon became a moving picture theatte with the advent of silent films.
The downstairs hall featured a well loved suspended maple dance floor. Saturday night dances with the Cumberland
Symphony Orchestra were & popular feature for years. Rebuilt after the fire of 1932, it continued to show films
until 1957. The last film shown was "These Wilder Years", with James Cagney and Barbara Stanwyck
Ilo Ilo Theatre – History and Restoration
The Ilo Ilo Theatre’s story begins in 1914, when it opened as an opera house in downtown Cumberland. Almost immediately, it transitioned into a silent-film cinema, while also hosting Saturday night dances with the Cumberland Symphony Orchestra on its suspended maple floor. In 1932, a devastating fire destroyed the original building; local entrepreneur E.W. Bickle rebuilt it within months in a sleek Art Deco style—complete with a central recessed entry, mosaic tile signage, stucco facade, curved proscenium stage, chandeliers, stained-glass exits, and a mezzanine projection porthole.
Bickle’s theatre became a cultural hub, bringing variety in entertainment—opera, symphony, silent and talking films, and community dances—helping define Cumberland as a regional cultural center well into the 1950s. After closure as a cinema in 1957, the auditorium was repurposed as an auction house (1969–2007), though the exterior remained heritage-true.
In the 2010s, interest in revival surged. By 2012, a lobby renovation project was underway by the Ilo Ilo Theatre Society, restoring infrastructure and opening for community events. Foundation stabilization — using new concrete to replace charred timbers — was completed around 2018 under local contractor Tim Patterson, led by owner Henry Fletcher. A nonprofit society was formed to steer capital fundraising, grants, and theatre programming including films, live performances, fashion shows, auctions, and flea markets.
As of 2025, the building is still in the midst of phased renovation: the lobby is finished, structural and electrical systems upgraded, but the main auditorium remains closed pending code compliance, seating, projection, and sound system installations. Although privately owned and not legally obligated to preserve, strong community support—reinforced by its 2019 inclusion on Cumberland’s Community Heritage Register—has fueled ongoing efforts to transform it into a vibrant cultural venue.