YOUR PERSPECTIVE: Preserving local theatres
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If you’re from a community with a small, local movie theatre, you know that they are charming hubs of local culture. Whether you lined up for hours to see a brand-new film released, saw a screening of your favourite concert, or attended a community event, you know that these are special venues in our communities.
When I ran into the owner of the Royal Theatre in Trail B.C. at a local airport last year, she told me how much competing with streaming services, larger venues, and global inflation were affecting her small, rural business, and I knew this was an issue I wanted to advocate for not just for my own community, but for small, independent theatres across the province.
That’s why I introduced a motion in the legislature calling for more opportunities for small, independent theatres to create revenue by allowing them to opt-in to responsibly serving alcohol at mixed-age showings.
In B.C., theatres can apply for liquor licenses and serve beer and wine, but only at 19+ showings. Larger, multiscreen theatres can afford to reserve a screen for a 19+ showing, whereas single screen, small, independent theatres don’t have the same luxuries. This would allow smaller, independent theatres to capture some of that revenue.
