The Landmark Cinemas Tower Theatre in Yorkton has officially closed its doors for good.
Landmark Cinemas announced that four movie theatres would be closing, which includes Yorkton. In Dawson Creek, BC, Airdrie, AB, and Selkirk, MB, movie theatres were also shut down
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Bill Walker, the CEO of Landmark Cinemas Canada, talked about the companies decision.
“It’s been a difficult road in a lot of the secondary markets for theatres for quite an extended period of time. Even pre-pandemic theatres in these small towns were certainly having some difficult times. I think the pandemic for us ultimately just highlighted some of those challenges and as we look towards the recovery. We look at the capital that’s required to sustain a successful operation; there in Yorkton, it’s ultimately not an investment that we are going to be able to afford and make,” he said. “As the business has evolved and consumer experience expectation evolves, some of these single-screen markets just don’t work anymore.”
Walker said it wasn’t a decision that they came to lightly.
“It’s always difficult when we have to close some of these cinemas because many people have had their first dates, their first movies with their kids, and these experiences that they remember fondly, and it’s difficult to see those leave small communities.”
He added that he hopes that someone will come and buy the movie theatre from them so the residents of Yorkton can once again enjoy movies.
“We did this is in Steller, AB. We sold a small single screen theatre to an independent entrepreneur that saw potential and felt as a local operator they could give it a different go, and we are fully supportive of that.”
Walker said that the community of Yorkton has been great to them over the years in their long-tenure there, and they would love to see the theatre reopened in the future.
