It's showtime: B.C. movie theatres reopen with reduced capacity
Some Vancouver moviegoers couldn’t wait. They bought tickets for the very first showtimes at Cineplex Marine Gateway on Tuesday, as movie theatres reopened for the first time since November 2020 under Step 2 of B.C.’s restart plan.
“It’s been too long away, and I’m just so excited and so happy that its finally open again,“ said Michelle Richderoba, who bought tickets for the new musical “In The Heights.” So did Karthik Sathiamoorthi, who told CTV News he had missed the moviegoing experience, including the popcorn.
“Of course there are all the streaming platforms now, but it's not the same," he said.
“This is a great moment, a great moment,” said theatre general manager Richard Mcluckie. “We have movies to play and we have people who want to see them, it’s wonderful.”
It’s a similar feeling at the Rio Theatre in Vancouver.
“I am absolutely thrilled. So excited,” says Corinne Lea, owner of the independent cinema on East Broadway and Commercial Drive.
The independently-owned cinema played two movies on Tuesday night to sold out audiences. In Step 2, each auditorium can have a maximum of 50 moviegoers in assigned seats.
When the province shut movie theatres down last November, Lea kept the Rio Theatre open by temporarily transforming it into a sports bar. With that new designation came the ability to host more than 50 people.
“When we were a sports bar we were allowed to have 125 seats based on social distancing. Who can explain that? The only difference was we were playing sports on the big screen.”
With more than 400 seats, Lea feels the Rio Theatre can safely seat more than 50 moviegoers.
Theatres hope they can have more guests in each auditorium under the next step, which is set to begin as early as July 1. But it’s unclear if that will be allowed.
“Increased gathering limits is suggested, we just don't know what it means for us. It's inferred that we could see an increase in capacity, but there is no clear guidance as to what that capacity would be,” said Bill Walker, the CEO of Landmark Cinemas.
After being closed for nearly seven months, some theatres are having a difficult time finding enough staff to fully reopen.
“We have been in contract communication, but ultimately many have left and found other jobs. We do have enough to reopen, some places will have a limited schedule because of it. But over the next couple of weeks we are out recruiting,” said Walker.
Theatres hope as movie goers start to return, staff will come back too. Opening day sales have been promising.
“We are very nearly sold out of almost everything for this evening already,” said Mcluckie.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.