Odeon Drive-In won't reopen
Updated: April 9 at 03:57 PM CDT
Print Article E-mail Article Winnipeg's last drive-in movie theatre is closing -- and this time it's for real.
"Unfortunately the drive-in will not be reopening again this year," said Pat Marshall, vice president of communications for Cineplex Entertainment.
The Cineplex-managed Odeon Drive-In has operated for four decades on a stretch of land just outside the city's western border, but after poor attendance in 2004 it looked like closure was imminent.
The theatre was spared for a few more years after more than 11,000 fans signed an online petition to keep the drive-in open.
But the grassroots effort to keep the theatre running didn't translate into more visitors, said Marshall, and attendance has "fallen off quite dramatically," with drops of more than 40 per cent over the last two summers.
"It's just too difficult to try to make a business of it when there isn't the support," she said.
The 998-car venue opened in 1964, and has existed in largely the same condition ever since, making it a nostalgic draw for Winnipeggers. However, Cineplex has repeatedly cited low attendance as a problem in recent years.
The drive-in is typically open from the May long weekend to the September long weekend annually.
Marshall said the owners of the property, which has been up for sale for years, will look for other uses for it.
lindsey.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca