After being closed for a year and a half, the Aron Theatre at 54 Bridge Street East in Campbellford is set to reopen on Friday, September 10, kicking off the co-operative organization’s 10th anniversary.
Built on the site of a livery stable used by former St. Lawrence Hotel on Front Street, the theatre first opened it doors on November 15, 1947. For decades, the privately owned theatre screened films and hosted small concerts and special events.
However, by 2009, the theatre’s financial viability was under threat due to the evolving movie industry — particularly on-demand home entertainment and the switch from 35-millimetre film to digital — and was going to close upon the retirement of Paul Imperial, the theatre’s owner since 1976.
That’s when a group of community members, led by Campbellford resident Russ Christianson, came together to establish Aron Theatre Co-operative, a not-for-profit business owned and controlled by its members. In May 2011, the co-op purchased the theatre from the former owner.
Through a combination of grants and community support, the co-op raised the funds to purchase a $96,000 digital projector and sound system, which allowed the theatre to show on-release Hollywood movies for the first time in 20 years.
This in turn widened the theatre’s audience, generating additional revenue and allowing the co-op to focus on the long-term sustainability of the theatre as a community hub and cultural centre. Since then, among other improvements, the co-op repaired the roof and the exterior of the building and upgraded the washrooms.
Then the pandemic hit. The theatre shut its doors on March 15, 2020, two days before the Ontario government closed all non-essential businesses. A cash-only business before the pandemic, Aron Theatre Co-operative lost over 90 per cent of its revenue.
With the support of grants and donations, they’ve managed to make it through the last 18 months, creating a new website where they offer memberships, accept donations, and sell T-shirts.
Although the theatre could have reopened at 50 per cent capacity when step three of Ontario’s reopening plan went into effect, Aron Theatre Co-operative decided to wait until after Labour Day for the safety of audience members as well as volunteers and staff.
They will be completing the installation of new air ventilation, UVC purification, and filtration systems, as well as ensuring all required health and safety practices are in place. A team of volunteers will be completing a thorough cleaning of the theatre on August 23.
“We will have an exciting roster of movies, special events and concerts lined up for this fall,” Aron Theatre Co-operative writes on its Facebook page.
For more information about Aron Theatre Co-operative, to buy or renew a membership or buy a T-shirt, and to donate, visit www.arontheatre.com.
