DRIVE-INS OPENING
But cars must stay apart
The number of drive-in theatres in Saskatchewan has dwindled to four, but operators are preparing to bring an altered movie-going experience to the province amid the pandemic.
Two of the drive-ins, the Twilite Drive-in Theatre in Wolseley and The Prairie Dog Drive-in in Carlyle, plan to start showing movies on Friday under revised rules released by the province last week.
The Jubilee Drive-in in Manitou Beach and the Clearwater Drive-in in Kyle do not expect films to be spooling though the projectors until June.
Last week’s revision to Saskatchewan’s plan to allow businesses to reopen during the COVID -19 pandemic clarified that drive-ins could open Friday and included an entire page on rules.
“We’re excited that we’re able to open,” said Ray Boutin, whose family has owned The Prairie Dog Drive-in since 1997. “The theatre is celebrating 40 years of operation.”
The rules for drive-ins include physical distancing and increased cleaning, but also a requirement that vehicles be parked five metres apart — about the length of a truck or sport utility vehicle.
The Prairie Dog Drive-in plans to start showing the Trolls World Tour animated movie on Friday. The Twilite Drive-in is also showing Trolls World Tour this weekend and has movies listed for the next five weekends.
Boutin figures the five-metre rule means running the drive-in at half-capacity, but he said film distribution companies have reduced the cost of royalties to acquire movies because of the pandemic.
“(The five-metre rule) might be a bit of overkill, but it’s all fine,” Boutin said. “Definitely, it’s more profitable than not operating.”
Denise Kelk, who bought the Clearwater Drive-in in Kyle in 1988 with her husband Ken, said they are unlikely to open until June because of the short notice from the province.
Kelk said she and her husband both work full time and will not be able to prepare the drive-in for opening this weekend.
She said she’s unsure how well the drive-in will work with the lower capacity and social distancing. The Clearwater Drive-in dates back to 1957 and can accommodate 150 vehicles.
“The other big challenge is what do you put on your screens, because the global movie markets shut down in mid-march,” Kelk said.
People are still excited about the drive-in opening, Kelk added.
Manitou Beach Mayor Gerry Worobec said the local drive-in has targeted the first weekend in June for opening. The village owns the theatre and leases it out for operation.
Government spokesman Matthew Glover said the province’s Business Response Team has worked closely with businesses on rules for reopening.
(The five-metre rule) might be a bit of overkill, but it’s all fine. Definitely, it’s more profitable than not operating.