It all began in October 1913 when a man named Arthur Brooks Webster was issued a permit to build a theatre on Queen St East, close to Beech Ave. At the time, the resident Beachers were not too thrilled about having another theatre in their midst; as there were already two other local cinemas (The Coliseum, and The Peter Pan). This forced Webster to petition door to door in the neighborhood, enlisting his friends to help out, and eventually he gained the necessary support.