Pitt Meadows is losing its independent, second-run theatre, as Hollywood 3 will close its doors on June 29.
Owner Moby Amarsi blames the COVID-19 pandemic, and the accompanying lockdown, for getting people in the habit of watching movies at home.
He has kept the little theatre in Pitt Meadows open for as long as possible, hoping crowds would eventually return, but his business is at half or less what it was before the pandemic.
A major problem is that most movie buffs have streaming services, so at the same time as second-run theatres are starting to screen movies, many are also available on Netflix and other apps.
He has operated the theatre in Pitt Meadows for 15 years, but when his lease on the building in the Meadow Vale Shopping Centre ran out, he made a tough business decision to not renew the lease.
He owned multiple locations in the Lower Mainland, but closed a Surrey theatre in 2023, and one in Duncan at the start of 2024.
"The first time around it was a little stressful, but now we accept how it is," said Amarsi.
Amarsi's situation is not unique. The Network of Independent Canadian Exhibitors issued a report in March of 2024 that said 60 per cent of independent theatres were operating at a loss.
He feels bad for the five employees of the theatre, some who have been there for a long time.
"It's heartbreaking for us to see the employees go, and see the theatre close."
Cinema-goers will still be served by the Cineplex Odeon theatre at Meadowtown Centre in Pitt Meadows.
Amarsi is hoping to make the closing Sunday an event when he can say thanks to his patrons.
"We've had 15 good years," he said. "I want to thank the people of Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows and Port Coquitlam for supporting us all those years."
In 2022, Hollywood 3 won the Pitt Meadows Business of the Year award, handed out during the Pitt Meadows Christmas celebrations, for contributing "to the overall quality of life in Pitt Meadows through community service."
