Drive-In Theatres!

by Dawn Matheson
May 28th, 2009

Oakville 5 Drive-in (Photo: Erinn Cunningham)

Southern Ontario's vintage drive-in theatres are struggling to stay open

Films alfresco took off in the ’50s as car travel exploded. Ontario boasted the lion’s share of drive-ins in Canada with around 200, pulling in hoards of hot rods and passion pit patrons for popcorn and pogos and the promise of a magical night of sound and light under the stars.

Time Left

In an age of urban sprawl and DVDs, it’s shocking to find a battered neon sign advertising a drive-in on some 20 acres outside town. Such places have little reason to persevere, yet a few still do. Ontario has just over 20 with no new construction planned. “You gotta be in it for the dancing hot dogs,” says Brian Allen, whose family owns five, referring to the cartoons that played during a film’s intermission. “Not the revenue.”

See It

Drive-ins have lapsed into novelty status, luring mostly families with their car-load bargains. The largest is Oakville’s 5 Drive-In, with three screens and a long season (March to January), while the others run in the warmer months.

Save It

Visit often. Individual owner-operators single-handedly keep drive-ins open, scrambling to create a unique communal experience. Oakville’s 5 Drive-In includes a beach volleyball court and remote-control car racing, while Guelph’s Mustang serves up a diner-style concession, vintage trailers and live intermission announcements of birthdays, wedding proposals and kid jokes.

This story was originally published in the June 2007 issue of up! magazine as part of the See It Before It’s Gone feature, profiling 11 of Canada’s must-see natural and man-made tourist attractions on the brink of extinction. Take a look at more of Canada's Endangered Destinations.

Photo: Erinn Cunningham