A Yellowknife resident is organizing a community gathering later this month at Weledeh Catholic School to discuss the closure of the Capitol Theatre and possible next steps.
Organizer Aidan Charpentier said he aims to bring together movie lovers and stakeholders to explore options for keeping the theatre operating in the city.
“I just wanted to have all those voices come together and meet up to talk about what we can do collectively instead of individually,” he told Cabin Radio.
“Having voices come together and having multiple people in a group to come up with a solution is something that I’m hoping to create.”
The meeting, which takes place on February 15 from 4pm-6pm inside the school’s gym, comes amid widespread concern over the theatre’s uncertain future.
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On Tuesday, the city’s only movie theatre announced it plans to close on March 31 after failing to secure a new lease with McCor Management, which oversees the downtown Precambrian Building.
While the building’s owners have said they want the facility to serve a similar purpose after that date, a spokesperson noted no final decisions have been made and possibilities are still being explored.
Charpentier said he has looked into examples from across the country where communities successfully came together to prevent local theatres from closing. He said the Town of Ituna in Saskatchewan, for example, recently formed a community investment co-operative to save its movie theatre.
According to him, a similar approach in Yellowknife could help preserve movie screenings in the city, even if the current theatre ultimately isn’t open for that purpose. Other options for residents would be to repurpose an existing building as a movie screening space or bring in a franchise.
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Charpentier said he has contacted theatre chains such as Cineplex but has not yet heard back and does not know what would be required to open a franchise, including potential costs or whether a new building would be needed.
Charpentier feels losing a theatre would negatively impact the city, which has seen several business closures in recent months. Even if a person does not like going to the theatre, he said, having the facility running is something “everyone benefits from.”
“My ideal goal for this meeting is to get in contact with others who also feel passionate about having a theatre stay open in town,” he said.
“I know there are a lot of things behind the scenes we are not aware of, and there has been trend of moviegoers staying at home instead of going to the theatre itself. However, I think closing the theatre damages the city tenfold. There are people talking about wanting to move because of this.
“There are youth in town that need safe recreational spaces, and the theatre is one of the biggest ones.”
Correction: February 7, 2026 – 15:41 MT. This article initially gave Aidan Charpentier’s first name as Adrian. We’ve since corrected it.
