Cineplex unveils first eight B.C. theatres to reopen this week

Photo: Rob Kruyt

Canada’s largest theatre chain is slowly raising the curtains across B.C.

Cineplex Inc. (TSX:CGX) announced Tuesday (June 30) it was reopening eight of its movie theatres throughout the province beginning Friday.

Locations include Kelowna at Orchard Plaza, Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver, Cineplex Cinemas Metropolis in Burnaby and Cineplex Cinemas Strawberry Hill in Surrey, among other locations in Richmond, Langley, Nanaimo and Victoria.

Cineplex’s latest quarterly financials, released Monday, reveal the company took a $178.4-million loss during the first quarter of 2020 as the pandemic forced the economy into lockdown.

U.K.-based cinema giant Cineworld PLC had announced plans to acquire Cineplex for $2.8 billion ahead of the pandemic but later reneged on the deal as the COVID-19 crisis unfolded.

Cineplex plans to reopen its remaining 16 B.C. theatres later in the month.