The planned and hoped for September reopening of the Montreal Theatre won’t be happening, with Covid restrictions keeping it closed indefinitely.
Montreal chairman Hugh Packard said that while a cinema can legally be opened, logistically, with the way the Montreal operates it is just not feasible.
“The limit is 40 people, and that’s fine if you have multiple screens, but we only have one screen,” he said.
“Forty is our absolute break-even minimum.”
Covid regulations mean that cinemas need to take and keep patrons’ names, contact details, and what seat they sit in, and this would be a big ask for the Montreal staff, who are all volunteers.
“We don’t have the system to administer that,” Mr Packard said.
Covid rules also state that patrons must be kept sitting separately or in family groups, and Mr Packard doesn’t want the Montreal volunteers having to police this.
“Theatres also have to be deep cleaned before and after each screening, and that would be a huge task for our volunteers,” he said.
“It would be okay for city cinemas that seat about 80, but we have nearly 600 seats.”
However, it is not all bad news coming from the Montreal, and good use has been made of the quiet period since the Covid-19 shutdown on March 20.
A major refurbishment is underway, and it is obviously easier when the theatre isn’t being used. When it does reopen, it will be better for everyone.
“The toilets have been finished and the air-conditioning and heating systems have been revamped,” Mr Packard said.
“The painting is also finished and we got a grant to turn the front shop into a service area.”
The Montreal received a $30,000 Visy-Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal grant to establish a café-tea room style shop next door to the main entrance to the theatre.
“There is still plenty of activity, so it (the closure) has been good in one way,” he said.
Another significant factor is the lack of movies to show.
“Covid has stopped a lot of movies being made, so there’s not much to put on,” he said.
“We did have a bunch of live bookings but they were all cancelled. Our organisation also runs the radio station (Sounds of the Mountains), so that has kept us busy while the theatre is in suspended animation.”
