Storm damages Manitoba drive-in theatre screen for second time

A massive storm has put one of Manitoba’s last standing drive-in theatres out of commission, yet again.

On Friday evening, the Shamrock Drive-In theatre, located south of Killarney, Man., was hit by  a powerful wind storm, knocking down the screen and most of the structure.

“My husband Darren and our two older kids were staying up and watching movies to keep an eye on the storm,” said Joanne Struss, one of the owners of the theatre.

“Sometime after 1 a.m. … hail started coming down. My husband looked out the window and saw a flash of lightning, and then saw the screen was knocked down.”

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The drive-in didn’t need the damage: the family was already trying to raise money for digital equipment upgrades through an online crowd-funding website. And on July 11, 2015 another summer storm ripped through the area, damaging the drive-in. Struss believes lightning hit one of the posts of the screen and damaged the equipment and screen.

READ MORE: Manitoba drive in theatre damaged in severe storm set to show Twister

The family was planning on repairing the damage from last summer, but now they have to start from scratch.

“The last of our screen came down in an extreme wind storm,” Struss said on a Facebook post. “The structure was not at its full capacity and the posts, placed in the 1950s, gave up their holds.  Repair is no longer an option.”

Struss said despite the loss, she is not quiting. She said she feels encouraged, especially after all the support from the community, to build a screen made to withstand the “Prairie winds.”

“That screen was scary to me it was such a big wind sail,” she said. “We have no desire to do anything but move forward.”