The screen will darken and the curtains will soon close on Halifax’s Oxford movie theatre.
Cineplex, the company that operates the historic and well-loved cinema, announced on Thursday that the building has been sold to the Nanco Group, a local business owned by the Nahas family.
As a result, it’ll officially close its doors on September 13, 2017, bringing an end to a theatre that has operated for 80 years.
“The decision to sell the Oxford was not an easy one as we share the community’s love for the theatre and respect the important role it has played in the city’s history,” said Daniel Seguin, Cineplex’s Vice-President of Operations for Eastern Canada.
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Cineplex says it’ll move the art house and independent films that normally screened at the Oxford to its Park Lane cinemas location.
Norman Nahas, the building’s new owner, says his family grew up in the area and recognizes it as an iconic building on a historic corner.
Nahas said it “made sense” for his family to purchase the building and although they won’t keep it as a theatre they will be looking at turning it into a commercial mixed-use space.
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“(The Oxford) is more than just a movie theatre,” he told Global News, saying that any future plan for the building will respect the architecture and attempt to incorporate historic elements.
The Oxford opened in 1937 and has arguably played an important role in the city’s history.
“It’s a legendary part of the whole movie going to a movie scene, going to a theatre that has a wonderful mystic about it,” said Patrick Murphy.
“It’s definitely a city landmark and I’ve used it and enjoyed going to movies there for years,” said Jane Cooley, who owns the store Bib N’ Tucker across the street from the theatre.
“The latest I saw was Maudie, it was a perfect venue for Maudie. So, we’re going to be really sad to lose them as neighbours. I’m not sure what’s going up there but hopefully it’ll be something just as good as the Oxford.”
“Gee, I’ll miss it,” said Jim Ferguson. “I’m not a constant cinema goer here but sometimes they have some pretty good movies and it’s very convenient to walk the three blocks or so that I live away from here to come and see what’s on.”
John DeMont has been going to the Oxford Theatre for nearly 50 years and calls it a Halifax institution. “It’s a big part of my childhood was going to this theatre. We would go Saturday afternoons and they would show matinees and you’d see three or four movies and you’d spend all day there.”
For Mary Kelly Willock, seeing the Oxford close hits close to home. She was married at the theatre in 2013.
“We chose it basically because we wanted to get married somewhere unique and somewhere that had some history for Halifax and somewhere that we were kind of hoping our kids would be able to go back and visit oddly enough,” she told Global News.
“It’s kind of iconic for Halifax to have that building and a standalone theatre that’s not a big multi-movie plex and somewhere that has some character.”
The company is planning on giving the cinema the type of send-off it deserves.
For the theatre’s final week it’ll run screenings for $4.99 with proceeds going to the IWK Foundation.
- Friday, September 8 – Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Casablanca and Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Saturday, September 9 – Wizard of Oz, Lawrence of Arabia and 2001: A Space Odyssey
- Sunday, September 10 – E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Gone with the Wind and Maudie
- Monday, September 11 – Rear Window, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Aliens
- Tuesday, September 12 – City Lights, Grease and The Graduate
- Wednesday, September 13 – Singin’ in the Rain and Titanic
With files from Natasha Pace, Global News
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