In 1948, Philippe Fermanian, an Armenian, converted a former furniture store into a movie theatre and called it the Pine Cinema. The building’s front façade was divided into two, making space for a drugstore and a gleaming lobby. A Hollywood-style marquee was installed. Philippe moved into the second-floor apartment with his wife, Aurore. With the arrival of this new cinema, Sainte-Adèle residents could view three different movies a week in their original version. Major American, European and French films were presented and the Pine Cinema’s reputation quickly grew throughout the industry. In 1954, the Pine Cinema projected movies in cinemascope and in stereo. Despite the competition of nearby theatres and the arrival of television, the Pine Cinema kept going strong.
In 1964, a new generation of Fermanian came onto the scene. Tom, at only ten years old, started to work as an usher. He was everywhere: at the counter selling candies, at the ticket booth and even in the projection room. Passionate about technology, Tom knew how to run all the equipment. In 1977, Tom took over from his father. He installed a Dolby sound system and transformed the former drugstore space into a second, 51-seat theatre. A third theatre was added in 1983. The renovations proved complicated as the projection room was installed in the vault of the previous bank. In 1987, the Pine Cinema became one of the first multiplexes in Canada.
Since 1995, the Pine Cinema occupies two buildings and presents no less than eight movies simultaneously. The Pine offers the best projection conditions in the industry and a comfortable viewing environment to movie-goers. Over the years it has garnered numerous awards. During movie premiers, artists and directors are always met with a warm and enthusiastic welcome at the Pine Cinema.