Saving a part of Cornwall’s history gŏđŏ
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To add to their troubles, only limited cop- ies of newer films released are available in 35mm, making the wait unbearable. “We have to get in line to receive movies that have already been out for a couple of months,” said Sylvain. “It makes it a real challenge to compete against bigger busi- nesses.” Therefore, the three co-owners of The Port thought outside the box in order to create different-themed events. “We try and bring new and fresh ideas,” explained Syl- vain. “We introduced several shows and the public seemed to like them a lot.” The the- ater has seen its fair share of popular events. For example, the building housed a charity- driven comedy show earlier this month. The act featured comedians from the Just for Laughs show in Montreal and proved to be a success. “Not only did we attract a lot of people, but we also managed to raise a considerable amount of money for a local junior soccer team and an orphanage in Uganda. Other memorable events include the Rocky Horror Picture Show night that runs in October. The event features the popular cult followed movie, and invites the audi- ence to interact using rice and even toilet paper. “Somewhere on our Facebook page, there’s a picture of us cleaning after one of the performances,” chuckled Sylvain. “We are the only theater in Ontario that screens interactive movies. The night has been go- ing on for 10 years now and we have no in- tentions of stopping it.” Continuing with their success in the times surrounding Halloween, the owners de- cided to transform The Port into the Shock- Show. Throughout October, they showcase classic horror films, featuring all the favor-
FRANCIS RACINE francis.racine@eap.on.ca
CORNWALL | “A building with endless pos- sibilities” is how Port co-owner, Larry Syl- vain, describes his establishment. When it opened in 1941, the Roxy, now known as the Port, was commonly referred to as Ontario’s most modern theater. Half a cen- tury later, it still serves Le Village, but has quite a different lineup from when it first opened. The changes have brought musical acts, comedy acts and even a video game tour- nament, all in the name of bringing back the glory that used to be attributed to the structure. The co-owner explains that mov- ie theaters used to make most of their prof- its from film screenings, but that The Port fell behind when it came time to modernize the film projection aspect. “We still operate with 35mm,”he explained. “Now everything is digital. We’d love to update, but it would cost us between $50 000 and $60 000. We simply can’t afford it right now.” communautaire Le lien community link The J’écris ma vie La rencontre annuelle de l’Association J’écris ma vie se tiendra le 24 mai 2014 à l’hôtel Ramada Inn, au 805, avenue Brookdale, Cornwall, à 9h. Les membres et non-membres sont invités à cette journée. Pour plus de renseignements, les intéressés peuvent appeler Pierrette Lemieux au 613 938-3979 ou à Marie- Paule Villeneuve au 613 933-8576. Centre Charles-Émile-Claude Un atelier sur la gestion des revenus à la retraite se tiendra le 21 mai prochain, dès19h. L’inscription est obligatoire. Pour s’inscrire, 613 932-1035 L’assemblée générale annuelle du Cen- tre Charles-Émile-Claude se tiendra le 4 juin prochain, de 19h à 21h. Tous sont invités. Overeaters Anonymous Is food a problem? Is your weight af- fecting your life? If so, contact Overeat- ers Anonymous. Meetings are held every Tuesdays at 8 p.m. at the Cornwall Wes- leyan Church, 780, Sydney Street. For more information, oa.aleta@gmail.com or 613 363-4606
Photo Sara Lauzon
The Roxy, now known as the Port, stands as one of the three original theaters in Corn- wall. Today, it’s the only one of the three left.
ites, such as vampires, mummies, ghosts and ghouls. This year, Sylvain said they’re trying to even bring Halloween-themed musical acts, such as a MeatLoaf tribute band. “We’d love to bring them here, but it’s not all official just yet,” he said. Banking on the popularity of hockey, The Port announced a short while ago, that they had reached a deal with Bell, which would let them air NHL playoff games, straight from satellite. “The quality is amazing,” said Sylvain.“We hook up the sound systemwith it and people leave feeling surprised at how good it was.” Although operating Cornwall’s last Heri-
tage Theater has its challenges, Sylvain loves it. “I started being involved with The Port when I was asked to take care of the sound for one of the acts,” he said. “That’s when I saw how much potential this place had. We’re trying to attract people, but we don’t want to lose the nostalgic feel to the theater either.” The three co-owners still make it their mission to deliver great entertainment, at a great price. “If I had to add anything, it would be that we hope that individuals who truly care for The Port, start taking ac- tion,” said Sylvain. “We really hope the com- munity can stand behind us!”
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