The giant marquee sign that illuminated the way to Yellowknife’s Capitol Theatre lost its letters on Friday as work to rebrand and renovate the facility continues.
The Capitol Theatre – the only movie theatre in the city – closed at the end of March. Its operator said the business had not made money for years.
After half a year without a theatre or any hope of one returning, a new operator announced themselves at the end of September and declared a plan to reopen the theatre as The Reel North early next year.
Since the end of the Yellowknife International Film Festival last week, which borrowed the old facility for a final time, work to transform the theatre into The Reel North’s vision – new seats and upgraded technology – has ramped up.
On Friday afternoon, workers could be seen removing letters from the Capitol’s marquee sign, which has been a downtown Yellowknife landmark for decades.
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“Alright, no one panic. Yes, we did take down the letters from the marquee this afternoon, but the marquee itself isn’t going anywhere,” The Reel North stated on Facebook.
“We’ll have new signage in the spring but, until then, it didn’t feel right to reopen with the wrong name on the building. The marquee will get a new paint job and a refresh once the snow is gone.”
