Regarding the fate of the Nelson Civic theatre, blaming Netflix or home theatre systems for the lack of attendance at our once operational movie theatre seems to be an attempt to justify an unpopular decision.
The movie goers did not drop off. More to the point, they were dropping out of the dilapidated seats or tripping down the unlit steps. The theatre was allowed to deteriorate and despite that the lady who ran it for many years and put up with the poor conditions still managed to bring in the top movies as well as the special foreign films from time to time on a Thursday nights and then her lease ended.
We have all heard what happened when two gentlemen came forward with plans to renovate and reopen the theatre, they failed and we were left with an empty space and a ceiling of dangling wires.
Until very recently little was being said to the public regarding the fate of Nelson’s theatre despite the rumours as far back as November 2011 about the squash group’s interest in the empty theatre. Now out of nowhere come the plans to convert it to squash courts and a climbing wall facility and the public is given less than a month to either come up with someone to partner with the city to repair and reopen the theatre or accept its loss like it or not.
Has anyone approached the Regional District of Central Kootenay for funding? The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary provided renovation funding to the Trail theatre in 2007 so why not Nelson in 2012? Don’t let this facility as a theatre go because once it is gone it is gone for good!
Sheila M. McCormack, Nelson