Photo : Julie St-Onge
Father Ernest Gabriel Myles, priest of St. Patrick’s Parish of Douglastown from 1921 to 1940, was founder of the Holy Name Hall with the support of the Society of the Holy Name. This Society consisted of men only. The Society
of the Holy Name, founded in 1934 followed the visit of a Redemptorist preacher, was devoted to the promotion of Christian morals.
The clergy which had traditionally been fervently opposed to the opening of a cinema changed its point of view and became from the 1930’s an important supporter of the cinema which played mostly American films that were
censored to promote the moral values recognized by the clergy. Meanwhile, also during the 1930’s, a number of cinemas were founded in parishes around the Gaspé coast. The parishes of New Richmond, Percé, Grande-Rivière, Gaspé and Mont-Louis had their own cinemas. The Holy Name Hall in Douglastown is the only one that still exists today with the original furnishings and technical equipment still intact.
In the spring of 1937, a petition signed by 177 parishioners was presented to the Bishop of Gaspé, Mgr. François-Xavier Ross to obtain the authorisation to build a Presbytery and a Concert Hall. 44 people voted against it. The Bishop sent Father William Cassivi of Cap-des-Rosiers to
hear the arguments of those opposed to the construction of the Hall and presbytery. Finally, the construction of these buildings was authorized on the April 16th, 1937. The construction of the Presbytery was delegated to an entrepreneur from Québec and the plans were made by a famous architect from Québec, M. Paul Rousseau. However, the Holy Name Hall was structurally inspired by the fishery buildings of the Gaspé coast and was therefore also inspired by the know how of the citizens of Douglastown. In 1937, the foundation was made. However, further work was suspended due to a lack of funds. Following this, some materials were recovered from old buildings and more funding was found, so work on the Holy Name Hall was resumed. The Holy Name Hall was blessed in the spring of 1938.
The construction of the building was composed of diagonally laid weather boards to brace the balloon frame. These were covered with horizontal
wooden boards on which was nailed asphalt paper imitating brick. The building was heated with wood. The Holy Name Hall has an inclined floor, a stage, and seats made of wrought iron stuffed and covered with velour (numbered from 1 to 12 and from 17 to 272) provided by the C.O. and S.F. Company, dated from 1897. There is also a portable movie screen and projection equipment with two projectors using carbon arc lamps with Simplex High (1945) of the lnternational Projector Corporation of New York.
Later on, in 1956, some modifications were made to the Holy Name Hall. The most significant change was that the outside facade was changed to
yellow brick. This was done to create a unified view for all buildings in St. Patricks’s Parish including the presbytery, school and church. Father Joseph Patrick Nellis, the priest at the time, was responsible for this change. Since the original foundation walls were not designed to support the new masonry cladding, the bricks were laid on top of a wooden sill protected with painted metal flashing. Other changes include: the installation of toilets, an oil heating system, the enlargement of the stage and the covering of the base of the walls with varnished plywood. Further improvement projects completed in the 1980’s include an artesian well and the replacement of the emergency doors.
Until the 1960’s, two films were shown per week, on Tuesday and Saturday. However, the beginning of the television era brought to an end the
golden age of cinema. The Holy Name Hall also served as a Concert Hall used for the cultural activities of the English community most notably and to the present day, for the annual St. Patrick’s Concert. Occasionally, political debates were also hosted by the Hall.
of the Holy Name, founded in 1934 followed the visit of a Redemptorist preacher, was devoted to the promotion of Christian morals.
The clergy which had traditionally been fervently opposed to the opening of a cinema changed its point of view and became from the 1930’s an important supporter of the cinema which played mostly American films that were
censored to promote the moral values recognized by the clergy. Meanwhile, also during the 1930’s, a number of cinemas were founded in parishes around the Gaspé coast. The parishes of New Richmond, Percé, Grande-Rivière, Gaspé and Mont-Louis had their own cinemas. The Holy Name Hall in Douglastown is the only one that still exists today with the original furnishings and technical equipment still intact.
In the spring of 1937, a petition signed by 177 parishioners was presented to the Bishop of Gaspé, Mgr. François-Xavier Ross to obtain the authorisation to build a Presbytery and a Concert Hall. 44 people voted against it. The Bishop sent Father William Cassivi of Cap-des-Rosiers to
hear the arguments of those opposed to the construction of the Hall and presbytery. Finally, the construction of these buildings was authorized on the April 16th, 1937. The construction of the Presbytery was delegated to an entrepreneur from Québec and the plans were made by a famous architect from Québec, M. Paul Rousseau. However, the Holy Name Hall was structurally inspired by the fishery buildings of the Gaspé coast and was therefore also inspired by the know how of the citizens of Douglastown. In 1937, the foundation was made. However, further work was suspended due to a lack of funds. Following this, some materials were recovered from old buildings and more funding was found, so work on the Holy Name Hall was resumed. The Holy Name Hall was blessed in the spring of 1938.
The construction of the building was composed of diagonally laid weather boards to brace the balloon frame. These were covered with horizontal
wooden boards on which was nailed asphalt paper imitating brick. The building was heated with wood. The Holy Name Hall has an inclined floor, a stage, and seats made of wrought iron stuffed and covered with velour (numbered from 1 to 12 and from 17 to 272) provided by the C.O. and S.F. Company, dated from 1897. There is also a portable movie screen and projection equipment with two projectors using carbon arc lamps with Simplex High (1945) of the lnternational Projector Corporation of New York.
Later on, in 1956, some modifications were made to the Holy Name Hall. The most significant change was that the outside facade was changed to
yellow brick. This was done to create a unified view for all buildings in St. Patricks’s Parish including the presbytery, school and church. Father Joseph Patrick Nellis, the priest at the time, was responsible for this change. Since the original foundation walls were not designed to support the new masonry cladding, the bricks were laid on top of a wooden sill protected with painted metal flashing. Other changes include: the installation of toilets, an oil heating system, the enlargement of the stage and the covering of the base of the walls with varnished plywood. Further improvement projects completed in the 1980’s include an artesian well and the replacement of the emergency doors.
Until the 1960’s, two films were shown per week, on Tuesday and Saturday. However, the beginning of the television era brought to an end the
golden age of cinema. The Holy Name Hall also served as a Concert Hall used for the cultural activities of the English community most notably and to the present day, for the annual St. Patrick’s Concert. Occasionally, political debates were also hosted by the Hall.
Source : Education in Douglastown, Dorothy Phillips, in The Douglastown Historical Review, Issue 3, Summer 2000