Could this be the next step for cinema in Yellowknife?

Yellowknife’s Capitol Theatre had its last screening on Tuesday evening. While that means the territory’s capital will be without a theatre for now, the long-term outlook for cinema may not be so bleak.

Successful models elsewhere, such as the Yukon Theatre in Whitehorse, show a non-profit model may be feasible in the North.

Shortly after the closure of the Yellowknife theatre was announced, a group of about two-dozen people organized by Aidan Charpentier met to discuss possible next steps for the community.

Charpentier said the meeting was attended by a crowd of movie lovers who care about having safe and warm recreational spaces.

As a first step, they agreed to send a letter to the two companies that own and manage the building that used to house the theatre, to understand their plans for the space.

In a response from Det’on Cho reviewed by Cabin Radio, the company said it is currently “inviting economically viable proposals for the space.”

“We welcome business plan submissions from any group, including community cooperatives or non-profits, that can demonstrate the financial backing and operational expertise required to manage a facility of this scale,” read the response from the company.

However, people who attended the meeting said the high cost of rent in the Precambrian Building – the Capitol Theatre’s home – would prevent any individual from reopening the location on their own.

The discussion led to the possibility of creating a cooperative investment group in a new space, though Charpentier said the group hasn’t yet had a second meeting to discuss what that might entail.

“I know a lot of people are really hoping for a new space in Yellowknife for a movie theatre, whether that be something that the city owns [and] they for-cheap rent it out, or renovate a space that’s empty,” said Charpentier.

There are some empty buildings in town that could suit a theatre, he said, but the work of actively seeking out spaces hasn’t yet begun.

Successful models elsewhere

Over to the west, Whitehorse has seen a similar situation play out in recent years.

In late 2021, the Yukon Film Society heard that Landmark Cinemas, which ran the Yukon Cinema, was looking to sell the building, said society executive director Andrew Connors.

At a board meeting, he recalled, two questions were posed: Does the city need a cinema that’s open seven days a week? And does the the Yukon Film Society want to capitalize on the opportunity?

For both questions, Connors said, the board reached the answer: “Yes.”

The film society, a non-profit, signed the lease for the building and was in business a mere five weeks later.

“We had access to the building before we signed the lease, so we had a very good idea of what needed to be done in order to get it back up and operating,” said Connors.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing, he said, and the opening months required some improvisation when it came to programming and the physical space.

“We had like vapour barrier over doors to keep the heat in and the ticketing system was not the ticketing system we’re using now,” said Connors.

“It was very sort-of fly by the seat of your pants at first, and then it took us about six months to really refine things and get into a flow.”

He said that while theatre admissions had a slow start in its first year under new management, things began to pick up again in 2023 as Covid-19 restrictions became a thing of the past and blockbusters like Barbie and The Super Mario Bros Movie drew in more people.

‘The more people, the better’

Now, Connors said, the theatre expects to record its best year yet with more than 42,000 admissions.

In addition to screening blockbusters, Conners said the theatre has been showing smaller independent films, art-house movies, South Asian movies, Indigenous cinema, and movies in Tagalog and in French.

He said it’s easier than ever to get access to movies from around the world.

“The cost of moving what we call prints – moving the physical film or the digital film around – that cost has just totally come down in an extreme way, when you compare it to moving around cans of 35 mm film,” said Connors.

Despite shifting viewing habits and the prevalence of streaming services, Connors said he believes cinemas still have a place in today’s world.

“People still want to gather in a dark space and have that experience,” he said.

“It’s a very different experience than when you’re at home, when you’re going to be on your phone, or you’re being interrupted, or you’re doing chores, or you’re not paying full attention, you’re not immersed in the storytelling.”

In Yellowknife, Charpentier said that while the community seems dedicated to opening another theatre, that venture could take some time.

“These things might take, you know, anywhere from three to five years, if not shorter or longer,” said Charpentier.

“We’re going to go without a movie theatre in Yellowknife for a little bit, until enough people come out to help.

“The more people involved, the better, because I’m just a guy who loves going in the movies, but I don’t know anything about what it takes to run a movie theatre.”

People who wish to get involved in the community group working to open a cinema in Yellowknife can get in touch with Charpentier on Facebook, he said, or join the Facebook group he has created.