Rexall Pharmacy (former theatre), Changing Chinatown Tour, June 02, 2024. Image by Rachna Shah.
| File information | Options |
Original JPG File4000 × 3000 pixels (12 MP) 33.9 cm × 25.4 cm @ 300 PPI 7.1 MB |
Restricted |
Resource ID
11123
Access
Open
Credit Line
Rachna Shah
Date of Creation
02 June 2024
Keywords
Chinatown, theatre history
People Depicted
Jingshu Yao
Program Category
Tours
Rights
Rachna Shah
Caption
Rexall Pharmacy (former theatre), Changing Chinatown Tour, June 02, 2024. Image by Rachna Shah.
Description
Built in 1921, the Standard Theatre was the first purpose-built Yiddish-language theatre in Canada and a cultural landmark in the local Jewish
community. During the 70 years when the theatre was in active use, it served two communities with very different pasts, Chinese and Jewish,
but both sought a connection in the new country they settled in. The Standard Theatre showed how communities came together through
language, culture, arts, and social activism. The building reflects the changing nature of the neighbourhood.
Now a Pharmacy owned by Rexall.
Discover the past and present along Spadina Avenue; from the historical lakeshore and Indigenous trade route to a diverse international neighbourhood; the advocacy by the Jewish and Chinatown community against discrimination so that they could not only survive but thrive in their new home; and the evolving definition of public space and art that grounds the community and its shops, homes, and businesses.