Northern Ontario travelling drive-in bringing back nostalgia
Drive-in theatres have been a thing of the past in northeastern Ontario, but Sudbury-based travelling company 'Horizon Drive-In' sees potential for the business to become an annual anticipated attraction in the region again.
Recently stopping in Timmins, owner Benjamin MacKenzie said when he operated his business as a COVID-friendly entertainment option, he feels he addressed an entertainment gap in the region, particularly during the pandemic while traditional movie theatres were closed.
"We’re kind of able to offer that outlet for friends to get together again, families to go out, people to kind of reconnect and enjoy entertainment safely," MacKenzie said.
And as COVID-19 restrictions loosen, he said more people have been looking to enjoy a form of entertainment that’s been missing in the northeast for some time.
Many people may not have been to a drive-in in years, MacKenzie said, and permanent drive-ins that operated have been long-closed.
That’s left a desire to enjoy a sense of nostalgia, he said.
"A lot of people who were kind of too scared to kind of come out of their houses before, last year, we’re seeing a lot of new people coming out," MacKenzie said. "Older demographics coming out, who were kind of playing it safe last year, who just wanted to come and kind of relive those nostalgic days."
And he sees an opportunity to bring back that feeling back every summer, as an event that communities can look forward to even after the pandemic ends.
Looking forward to establishing a new northern staple, he is continuing to travel around the region this summer, with more show dates coming in the fall.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.