Cineplex to reopen six Alberta theatres
Facilities taking precautions to prevent spread of COVID-19 as audiences return
Cineplex will begin to reopen theatres in Alberta on June 26.
The company said in a news release Monday that it plans to reopen six theatres in the province that had been closed since midmarch because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The locations in Calgary that are reopening will be revealed closer to June 26, Cineplex executive director Sarah Van Lange said in an email.
The company plans to reopen “as many of its locations as it can” across the country July 3.
The theatres will reopen with enhanced cleaning protocols, personal protective equipment for staff and physical-distancing measures throughout the building, Van Lange said. The theatres will also be implementing reserved seating to help maintain proper physical distancing.
Cineplex also said Monday that it expects to open The Rec Room entertainment complexes in Winnipeg, Edmonton and Calgary this week.
The first theatre to resume operations in Calgary was independent theatre Canyon Meadows Cinemas, which reopened Friday.
Landmark Cinemas CEO Bill Walker said in an interview with Postmedia last week that the company plans to reopen its three Calgary locations on June 26 at the earliest.
Independent theatre Globe Cinema said June 10 in a Facebook post that it plans to reopen in a few weeks after it “works out all the kinks involved in reopening an indie theatre after a lockdown and during an ongoing pandemic.”
Lux Cinema in Banff is scheduled to reopen Tuesday and The Plaza Theatre is scheduled to reopen June 19, alongside Okotoks Cinemas and Cochrane Movie House, according to Calgarymovies.com.