You can still watch a movie, but you can’t get popcorn or snacks at the theatre. That’s part of the newly announced restrictions in Ontario that are impacting businesses such as movie theatres. Owner and operator of the O’Brien Theatre in Arnprior and the Skylight Drive-In movie theatre in Pembroke, Kevin Marshall, says snack sales keep the doors open.
Marshall says they recoup enough money from ticket sales to pay for the films that are shown, but concession sales help pay for employees, the mortgage and to keep the lights on.
In Arnprior, Marshall says they are allowing you to take home popcorn after the movie as one way of supporting them.
A go-fund-me page started by Arnprior resident Chris Cooper has also raised over $25,000 for the O’Brien Theatre. Marshall says the support from the community is overwhelming. He adds the money raised will help them keep the doors open until at least April and adds in May the Skylight Drive-In movie theatre in Pembroke will be back open for the season.
The O’Brien Theatre is a historic building that was built in 1908 in Arnprior and originally opened as a Casino. Marshall says it was built at the same time as the O’Brien Oprah House in Renfrew (not the same as the O’Brien Theatre in Renfrew). He says in 1928, the building was renovated and turned into a motion picture theatre.
Marshall says movie theatres have survived the invention of radio, colour television, VHS, DVD, blu-ray and now streaming. He adds COVID-19 is the latest threat to the industry.
Marshall encourages everyone to support your local theater. Currently playing at the O’Brien Theatre in Arnprior is Spider-Man: No Way Home and on Wednesday (December 22nd, 2021) Sing 2 hits the big screen.
He adds the Drive-In Movie theatre in Pembroke has been able to operate through the pandemic and was impacted like indoor theaters.