Welland staff pleased with big screen success
The big screen at Welland Civic Square still has city staff glowing.
The 11-by-20-foot LED screen, which was installed more than a year ago, has been a good source of revenue for the municipality.
City treasurer Steve Zorbas said to date the $98,600 LED screen has generated revenue of $20,000. By the end of the year, he said, that figure should climb to $25,000.
The screen is used for advertising and public announcements. Zorbas said 50 per cent of the time the screen is used for public events, so there’s a good balance between advertising and community enjoyment.
Last summer the screen was used to live-stream the last Tragically Hip concert, when hundreds of people gathered downtown to watch the show together. This summer, the screen has been used to show family-friendly movies.
Tonight the city is screening The Mighty Ducks. On Oct. 27 it will screen the animated family movie Hotel Transylvania to celebrate Halloween. The October movie will include Halloweenthemed activities for families to enjoy before the movie.
Cassandra Magazzeni, the city’s arts and culture co-ordinator, said movie screenings will be ongoing in years to come. Family-friendly movies will be screened during August, September and October. Magazzeni said the sun sets a bit earlier during those months, so it allows younger children the opportunity to come and enjoy a film with the family.
So far, Magazzeni said, the big screen has been a success. About 100 people usually attend the outdoor movies.
“It’s like Welland’s own drive-in theatre,” she said.
Ball Hockey International of Welland will be in attendance for tonight’s film. The civic square pond will be drained so that youth will have the chance to play ball hockey. Magazzeni said there will be a raffle as well, for which people can win ball hockey gear.
“Welland is a hockey town and we wanted to do a throwback,” she said about the choice of movie and the ball hockey event.
The event starts at 6:30 p.m. and will include free popcorn — Magazzeni said there’s free popcorn at all movie events.
For now the big screen will be used for advertising and movies, but Magazzeni said if something similar to the Tragically Hip concert occurs, the city will put the LED screen to use.