Cameo: A Star Cinema Sequel A small-town movie theatre is redesigned into a six-storey, multi-unit development By Samantha Sommerfield
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or those who grew up in the Saanich Peninsula, a lot of fond memories may revolve around Star Cinema: a local movie theatre in small-town Sidney by the Sea. This independent theatre has been a staple of the area since the mid-1990s. As the years pass in the developing neighbourhood, it continues to hold its ground — literally. Community movie theatres that have a strong support behind them are a rare find these days, and this one is something the locals are deeply proud to have and hold within their community. “It’s one of those things where the people who work there have worked there forever, and people stop in just to chat and 36 Vancouver Island Construction Association 2019
say hello. It’s almost a hybrid between a movie theatre and a hangout place,” says Margie Shenduk, director of operations at Casman Properties. “There is a certain draw to this theatre that the people who live here have. Even people who grew up in this area and moved away will make the drive to bring their children here to watch a movie, because of that nostalgia.” So, when the land was bought by Casman Properties to start construction of the Cameo development, a deal needed to be agreed upon — purchase this land with the caveat that the theatre needs to stay. It was then that the Cameo development became an even more interesting project. “Everything about this building is
unique,” says Shenduk. The building breakdown starts at the main floor with the much-admired Star Cinema and two commercial spaces. As you ascend the six-storey building, you will soon find condominiums that cater to a variety of residents from micro-suites and one-bedroom units to moderatelysized two-and three-bedroom units and luxury penthouses. “You could have multiple demographics of people who will coexist in this building, but other than riding the elevator together they won’t notice or hear each other very much in their day to day,” says Shenduk. To break up those demographics within a single building posed an interesting
