The ByTowne Cinema will continue its 32-year legacy of offering independent cinema to Ottawa under new ownership.
In December 2020, financial struggles caused by the COVID-19 pandemic led the ByTowne Cinema to announce its closure. The news caused many of the ByTowne’s patrons to share their sadness and memories of the cinema.
Bruce White, previous cinema owner and Carleton alumnus, wrote in a newsletter emailed to the ByTowne’s subscribers on May 27 that although the theatre had closed, he had continued to work behind the scenes to maintain the venue, cover property-related costs and search for new owners.
“When the doors to the ByTowne were closed last year, I made a promise to our audience that I would work until I found new operators,” White said in his email.
On June 9, only months after the theatre closed in December, another newsletter introduced subscribers to the ByTowne’s two new owners Daniel Demois and Andy Willick.
According to this newsletter, the pair are well versed in the world of Canadian arthouse cinema.
“We have owned and operated Toronto’s Fox Theatre since 2007, and Kitchener’s Apollo Cinema since 2014. We also work as programming consultants with other Ontario independent cinemas including Kingston’s Screening Room,” Demois and Willick said in the email.
The duo said they plan to maintain the ByTowne Cinema’s legacy of offering programming that highlights a variety of Canadian and international films.
“When it reopens the ByTowne will continue on as a space that brings curious minds together, shining a light on the important, though often under-recognized aspects of cinema,” said Willick.
The new owners also announced their plans to obtain a liquor license, introduce a new unlimited viewing membership and have virtual viewing options for remote patrons.
However, according to both the May and June newsletters, the theatre doors will not be open to the public until pandemic restrictions loosen enough to allow for a profitable attendance. Willick and Demois said early fall was a potential re-opening date.
In the interim, the ByTowne has been encouraging its patrons to show their support by purchasing merchandise or renting the marquee.
Other local cinemas also received community support during the pandemic.
Josh Stafford, co-owner of the Mayfair Theatre, credited the Mayfair’s patrons for aiding in the theatre’s survival during COVID-19.
“For a business like the ByTowne or the Mayfair, people know that when they buy a membership or when they buy popcorn that’s helping […] a business that they like survive,” he said. “This year has really drilled that into people’s brains, especially when they’ve seen businesses close.”
Sia Vourkoutiotis, a longtime ByTowne patron, is one of many community supporters of cinema. Vourkoutiotis, who said she has attended the ByTowne since she was a toddler, said her energy has transformed from a previously nostalgic tone to an air of eagerness for their return to the theatre.
Now 19, Vourkoutiotis said the atmosphere of the single-screen theatre coupled with its diverse selection of indie films caused them to develop a strong connection to the cinema.
“Whenever I went to watch a movie there, I would always come back and have learned something,” said Vourkoutiotis. “Often after the show people are talking in the entrance or just outside the cinema about the movie they just watched, which is not really something you see in bigger cinemas.”
For Vourkoutiotis, the news of the theatre’s reopening offers the opportunity to continue sharing the ByTowne experience with younger generations.
“I often loved just walking by, seeing small children, and [thinking], ‘Oh yeah, I was once that girl,’” she said. “Now that they’re reopening […] I’m happy to share that experience.”
As the ByTowne prepares to welcome returning moviegoers, Ottawa’s next stage of independent cinema presence remains on the reel. Amid a myriad of chain cinemas, White said the ByTowne will continue to be a home for local cinephiles.
“Indie cinemas offer a deeper, richer selection, but the importance of that is different, depending on the individual moviegoer,” he told the Charlatan in an email. “For some, it’s just nice to have more choice; for others, it’s crucial.”
Featured image by Vitoria Houston / The Charlatan Newspaper.
