Calgary's film community concerned over sale of Globe Cinema
CBC
Calgary's film community is disappointed over the potential loss of another downtown movie theatre with the Globe Cinema up for sale.
A commercial listing on Avison Young's website says the venue at 617 Eighth Ave. S.W. can be purchased for $2,400,000.
The neighbouring building to the west, former home to Rileys Reproductions and Printing, is also for sale. The Globe is operated by Rileys Entertainment.
The Globe Cinema opened in 1995, replacing the former Towne Cinema, which opened in the early 1970s, according to the Glenbow Archives.
The independent theatre calls itself a "classic movie house" and is host to independent film festivals.
Katherine Penhale, acting executive director of the Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF), says the sale of the Globe poses an "existential risk to the screening capacity in the core."
"The media arts have no home," said Penhale. "We feel like this is a pretty massive deficit and it only becomes increasingly concerning when we consider how important film is becoming to Alberta both economically and culturally," she said.
"The Globe is all that's left."
The film festival has been held annually at the Globe Cinema and the Cineplex Odeon Cinemas at Eau Claire Market, but the market is set to be demolished this summer to make way for the Green Line LRT.
The Globe Cinema has two auditoriums that seat 378 people, according to its website.
Penhale added that while the Plaza Theatre in Kensington still remains, its capacity is much smaller than the Eau Claire Cineplex and the Globe. According to the Plaza Theatre's website, its single auditorium seats 150 people.
The Calgary Underground Film Festival is exclusively held at the Globe, and had its most recent run at the theatre in April. One of CUFF's lead programmers, Cameron Macgowan, says he's known the venue has been up for lease in the past.
"So it's always kind of been looming that it would start to be taken more seriously," Macgowan said.
Macgowan said the Globe's unique characteristics are unmatched in Calgary's theatre landscape, and to lose such a venue would be a loss for the independent film scene.
Police in Metro Vancouver are warning drivers to remain attentive, even in a self-driving vehicle, after ticketing a woman who "appeared to be literally asleep at the wheel" on Highway 1.
Some century-old churches on P.E.I. are renovating to become more accessible, which includes updates to accommodate many different kinds of needs.
Toronto police headed to school zones Monday as part of a safety blitz following March Break.
WARNING: This story details experiences at residential schools.
The N.W.T. Coroner Service has identified the Nunavut man who died in RCMP custody in Yellowknife last Thursday.
The Liberal government's nominee to be the next fiscal watchdog insists she'll run an independent and non-partisan ship — even though her candidacy has created a political rift.
Two years after Calgary city council held its longest public hearing in the city's history, another marathon session began on Monday to tackle the same contentious subject: blanket rezoning.
Quebec resident Antoine Forest was one of the pilots killed in the Sunday night crash at New York's LaGuardia airport, according to Radio-Canada sources.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford's cellphone records took centre stage as the provincial legislature resumed sitting Monday for the first time since December, with the opposition accusing the premier of having something to hide.
The P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation hosted its annual heritage awards, recognizing Islanders who help maintain the island's culture and traditions.
A new independent review of Yukon’s education system is receiving pushback from advocates.
The RCMP has not recruited enough new officers or effectively assigned its members to meet its operational needs, according to a new report from the auditor general — raising concerns about public safety across the country.
Oil prices fell Monday morning after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would hold off on striking Iran’s energy infrastructure amid productive talks between the two countries.