The Park Theatre

Good morning, 

Nate with you today. Sports season is at a fever pitch right now. Like a lot of people, I stayed up too late on Monday watching the nearly seven-hour Blue Jays game (an 18-inning double game essentially). The loss stung, but at least it didn’t go until 3 am for us, like it was for Ontario and East Coast viewers. 

Closer to home and flying under the radar with the World Series madness, the Whitecaps are in the playoffs and in great form. Last weekend, a crowd of over 30,000, including yours truly, filled BC Place (including part of the upper bowl) with chants, cheers, and waving flags, setting a record for the highest attendance at a ‘Caps playoff game in the MLS era. 

The fans had a lot to cheer about, as Vancouver dominated play, constantly attacking, pressuring, and winning the ball back from their overwhelmed opponents, who didn’t register a single shot on goal. Led by the clever play of Thomas Müller and Emmanuel Sabbi, the ‘Caps cruised to a 3-0 victory and could have scored more if not for keen goalkeeping and missed opportunities. 

With the first round a best-of-three, Vancouver will be looking to move on with a win this Saturday in Dallas. Based on their great season and their latest performance, this squad – like the Jays – are a serious contender to win it all. 

With our sports report out of the way, let’s dive into today’s good news story and other local updates! 

— Nate Lewis, Vancity Lookout 

Correction: Baan Lao, the Thai fine dining spot recognized as the best restaurant in Canada, is located in Richmond, not Burnaby.

As always, you can send your tips, leads, and story ideas to Nate at [email protected].

PS - If you find this newsletter valuable, please consider forwarding it to your friends. New to the Lookout? Sign-up for free. 

WEATHER

Wednesday: 12 🌡️ 4 | 🌤️

Thursday: 11 🌡️ 6 | 🌤️

Friday: 11 🌡️ 8 | 🌧️

CAMBIE VILLAGE

The Park Theatre goes independent

When Cineplex announced it was shutting down operations at the single-screen Park Theatre, there was real concern that the Cambie Village venue would shut down as a cinema — sixteen years shy of its hundredth birthday.  

But unbeknownst to most, the building’s landlord and Rio Theatre CEO Corrine Lea had been working behind the scenes since August to save the Park Theatre and its art deco facade from an uncertain fate. 

“It actually came out of nowhere,” Lea described to Vancity Lookout, explaining that she was interested right when a representative for the Park’s long-time landlord approached her a few months ago about taking over operations at the theatre, once Cineplex decided not to renew its lease. 

Once Lea realized the start-up costs involved, she turned to local film producer Chris Ferguson, owner of Oddfellows Pictures, to help pull together the financial support required to make it happen. 

“Starting an independent theatre is a crazy venture to get into in 2025, so it had to be people who are super passionate about it,” Ferguson said of the decision to reach out to people with Vancouver connections in the film and television industry.

Nearly everyone Ferguson reached out to wanted to be involved; a “ridiculous success rate,” he said. That means the Rio’s takeover over the Park is on, with financing from a new company headlined by actor and musician Finn Wolfhard, power couple Samantha Quan and Sean Baker, whose film Anora won the Academy Award for best picture this year, and directors Mike Flanagan, Osgood Perkins, and Zach Lipovsky. Other backers include Eugenio Battaglia, Graham Fortin, Andy Levine, Jill Orsten, Christina Bulbrook, and Ferguson himself. 

“It’s all happening so fast,” Lea said, explaining that they’ll get access to the space on November 1 and are aiming to have the theatre back up and running one month later.  

For Ferguson, the involvement of film industry folks meant the money was coming from people who understood the importance of supporting independent theatres from an artistic perspective. 

“Going to a movie and having that communal experience is the core of making movies. The more we can do to enrich that experience, the better… that inspires people to be in film. So I think it's important to have that in a city like Vancouver, where we make all of the movies,” Ferguson said. 

In the 1940sm when the Park openedm there were dozens of neighbourhood theatres all around town. Almost all of them, like the Ridge Theatre on 16th and Arbutus, have become victims of development, according to Leonard Schein, a theatre manager, who ran the Park, the Ridge, and several other single-screen cinemas for decades.

Schein, who managed the Park for 23 of those years before it was bought by Cineplex in 2013, said Lea contacted him over the summer, asking for advice on whether she should take on a lease. 

“I said ‘yes you should,’” Schein recalled. “It’s a good neighbourhood theatre, it’s in good condition… [and] it was very successful, other than during the Canada Line construction.” Schein added that the Park’s ownership is still the same as when he started there in 1990. 

The Park’s owners are listed as two companies: Acorn Heritage Holdings Inc. and 886622 Ontario Ltd., Inc., according to CBC. “​​They're into film and don’t want to see another neighborhood theatre set down,” Schein said of the owners, who he described as “Vancouver people.” 

“You don't usually have a landlord reaching out to a movie theatre to say, please come run a movie theatre here. I think it's very cool,” Ferguson said.

Ultimately, Lea took Schein’s recommendation and went ahead with the project with a sense of duty to preserve the last of Vancouver’s single-screen theatres. “We cannot afford to lose one more. That's why we're stepping up,” Lea said. 

Asked about the differences between what the Rio brings to the Drive and what they’re hoping to add to Cambie Village, Lea described the Rio as “a real rebellious punk rock vibe.” While that’s exactly the East Van energy, it’s not quite the neighbourhood aura further west. 

“[It will] probably not [be] so rebellious and punk rock at the Park. I think it'll be a little bit more focused on the film quality over there,” Lea said with a laugh. The Rio also hosts all sorts of live events, but that won’t be a major focus of the Park under new management, Lea explained. 

“[The Park] doesn't have the infrastructure to have big live bands or anything like that,” Lea said, adding they’ll be looking to host events like stand-up comedy – an entertainment option that’s been missing from the neighbourhood since the Kino Cafe, a classic joint a couple doors over, shut down during the pandemic. 

The Park’s reimagined offerings on screen will include a thoughtful selection of new releases, classics, film festival screenings, and more. “Single-screen theatres need a certain level of focus and attention to really put some creativity into the programming,” Lea observed.

“I think getting this theatre back into the rotation of these festivals and special events that the city needs to have more of is going to add a lot” to Vancouver, Ferguson said. “We’re already talking with VIFF [Vancouver International Film Festival] about them coming in [to the Park] next year, and I hope we can find more partners like that,” he divulged. 

Anticipation for the Park’s curation is already building for cinema-going residents. “The Rio is such a big part of Vancouver’s culture for me… I’m so excited they’re going to be bringing that to the Park… I’m intrigued to see the programming,” Sara Gill, a movie enthusiast who lives in Mount Pleasant, told Vancity Lookout. 

“It’s also such a relief that the Park will remain a cinema – it’s my favourite one in terms of size, screen and layout. It always felt weird that it was a corporate Cineplex so going indie is the best case scenario and feels like a rare win for the arts in Vancouver,” Gill added. 

The energy, attention, and financial backing being put toward this new iteration of the Park are all signs of the continued, and at times tumultuous, revival of Cambie Village. 

“I really hope all the people out there that were sad to hear of the Park closing make an effort to come out,” Lea said. Movie lovers and neighbours will get the chance to do just that as soon as December 1.

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THE VANCOUVER NUMBER

325.6%

That’s the percentage increase of the average home price in Metro Vancouver between 1994 and 2024, according to a new report by Re/Max Canada. Read more. [BIV]

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THE AGENDA

⏸️ NDP Housing Minister Christine Boyle is hitting pause on legislation that their government introduced that would’ve required a referendum to dissolve the park board, citing the need for the city to “clarify their intended direction.” The city needs the province to pass changes to the Vancouver Charter to change the park board. Meanwhile, the city and First Nations say they weren’t consulted about the proposed bill. Read more. [CBC]

🎃 On Wednesday, Council will consider a motion to allow residents to close portions of residential streets to vehicle traffic on Halloween, starting in 2026. Historically, October 31 has been the date with the highest number of child pedestrian fatalities and injuries due to vehicle traffic. Read more. [Vancouver Sun]

🗳️ They’re not affiliated with the Liberal Party of Canada or the Conservative Party of Canada, but that’s not stopping two new municipal parties - the Vancouver Liberals and the Vancouver Conservatives - from hoping that an assumed affiliation will help at the ballot box. Read more. [CBC]

🗺️ Speaking of the Vancouver Liberals, mayoral candidate Kareem Allam recently announced that if elected, he will ask the province to amalgamate the City of Vancouver with UBC’s University Endowment Lands. Read more. [Daily Hive]

🦉 Vancouver tech darling Hootsuite is laying off 20 per cent of its global work force. Read more. [BIV]

🐋 A humpback whale was found dead in Howe Sound over the weekend. The whale is believed to be the one that was hit by a whale-watching boat in the area last Thursday. Being hit by a vessel is one of the primary threats to humpback whales, and the increasing number of whales and ships in coastal waters makes collisions more likely. Read more. [CBC] 

💾 One East Vancouver landlord who has been fighting in court to have his property assessment cut in half may be on the hook for costs associated with the case, after it was discovered he was using AI to prepare court documents that were riddled with errors, ‘hallucinated’ case law, and fake citations. Read more. [CBC]

👮 Former Vancouver Canucks centre Ryan Kesler has pleaded not guilty to two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct in a Michigan court. Read more. [ESPN]

✈️ Flair Airlines launched a new nonstop Vancouver - Mexico City route yesterday and is bringing back its Vancouver - Montreal route in April 2026. Read more. [North Shore News]

HOME OF THE WEEK

This one seems like the real deal! It’s a two-bedroom, two-bathroom 761 square foot unit right near the highly popular Commercial Street. Pet lovers will be happy that it allows your four-legged friend. And while the patio isn’t as big as you’d like, it does have a great kitchen layout meant for entertaining.

So, what will a place like this set you back? About as much as you’d expect in Vancouver.

VANCOUVER ARTS GUIDE

Performance

A not-to-be-missed Flamenco show, Flamenco Rosario is a perfect performance for any fans of Flamenco or those looking to get acquainted with this style of dance. On Nov. 20 at 12 pm at the Scotia Dance Centre. Tickets $17.  

Vancouver Opera’s version of Rigoletto is a bit less heavy on “disturbing themes and melodrama” and is more of a simpler performance focused on the human drama. The show is on until Nov. 2. [Stir]

The Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival is back for its 22nd year, with over 100 events across the city at 40+ local venues. Film, dance, poetry, theatre — you name it, they’re doing it. Learn more.

Art

Eastside Atelier is hosting a pre-Eastside Culture Crawl event on Nov. 20—23 at various times over at 1310 William St. It’s a great event for anyone looking to avoid the Eastside Culture Crawl crowds.

We love history. We love photography. So Ten Surprising Things About the History of Photography sounds like a perfect event. On from Nov. 13 from 5 pm-6:30 pm at Coach House, 6201 Cecil Green Park Rd.

Music

Celebrated and award-winning young guitarist Sean Shibe is making his Canadian debut at the Vancouver Playhouse on Nov. 2. Tickets start at $28.

The popular Choir Leoni will be performing their Remembrance Day Concert at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United, a show that’s not to be missed. Tickets start at $20.

Movies

We mentioned Rio in our story today, so we thought it fitting to include some of their upcoming movies. Their programming this week skews spooky, with The Exorcist, Rocky Horror Picture Show and Beetlejuice.

South African Film Festival (SAFF) is hosting an in-person screening of The Showerhead, and a post-movie Q/A with the film director. It explores a political cartoonist and their struggle as an anti-apartheid activist. Tickets here.

Submit your event and it could appear here and reach 20,000+ Vancouver locals.

(MORE) GOOD NEWS

La Movida Sewing Studio in Kits is already building a community of sewers through its classes and workshops for kids and adults, but a recent donation of hundreds of sewing patterns kicked off a frenzy when the store offered the patterns up to its social media followers for free.

The patterns were gone quickly, but the studio is now looking at other community-building opportunities like fabric swaps, meet-ups, and asking pattern recipients to send in photos of their completed projects as a way to say thank you to the donor. Check out their video. [TikTok]

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Are you a BC non-profit with questions about the Societies Act? Check out Cabrio Law's plain-language FAQ. [Sponsored]

• The new host of Reading Rainbow, Mychal Threets, is also a brand new, card-carrying patron of the VPL. [Vancouver is Awesome]

• If you’re the kind of person who goes to a restaurant and can’t decide if you want to sit upstairs or downstairs – and you like tacos – have we got some good news for you. [Daily Hive]

• Come with me… to read more about how online influencers are having an impact on the Vancouver restaurant scene. [Vancouver Sun]

• A local engineering student working on a school project with the B.C. Ministry of Transport is looking for information from people who commute on the Mary Hill Bypass. [Reddit]

• Weird history: The Enterra Vipre and its connection to Vancouver waiters. [Reddit, CarBuzz]

GAME TIME

Today’s Wordle is inspired by this weekend’s main event. Can you work out what it is?

PHOTO OF THE DAY

One picture to sum up the thousand words (plus or minus a couple) I wrote in our intro about the Whitecaps’ and their supporters’ stellar performance last weekend.