The positive story of business investment in the Battlefords was top of mind at the latest Chamber on Tap at the Blend last Thursday night.
At the event, chamber members in attendance heard from Tom Hutchinson of Magic Lantern Theatres, developers of a new cinema complex in downtown North Battleford, as well as Cassandra Germsheid and Jesse Crozier of Kerr’s Cleaners.
Germsheid and Crozier spoke particularly of their latest efforts to revive the post office building in Battleford, which they bought in December 2016.
“Especially with Canada Post agreeing to move back in made it a viable agreement,” said Crozier. “They signed a ten-year agreement commitment as far as the purchase agreement.”
As for the date when Canada Post will to move in, Crozier said, “stay tuned.”
Hutchinson had some news about what to expect with the new downtown cinema complex.
Construction is to begin sometime this month and it is expected to be a one-year construction period. The entrance to the new cinema will face the Beaver Hotel on an angle at 11th Avenue, so that the Capitol would be visible from the entrance.
When completed new cinema complex will feature four screens and will have roughly 500 seats split amongst four auditoriums.
Hutchinson also noted that the new cinema will operate in conjunction with the Capitol, which Magic Lantern purchased and renovated last year. A common ticketing system will be in place for the two cinema complexes, allowing customers to go onto the Internet and select reserved seats for all five auditoriums in North Battleford.
All three saw great potential going forward for the Battlefords as a place to invest and do business.
Crozier said the Battlefords had a “rich history and also such a bright future.” Germsheid pointed to the “strategic location” of the Battlefords as well.
Hutchinson noted one selling point for him was “the Indigenous factor, because Indigenous people in other centres where we have cinemas are great customers.”
As for the look of downtown in the next five to 10 years, Germsheid wanted to see a downtown that was as vibrant as it used to be.
“I would love to see downtown North Battleford look a little bit more like it used to,” said Germsheid.
“When you look back at the archive photos, early in the century, it was spectacular. It was a busy, bustling street with tons of people, it looked like New York City almost, and I would love to see that happen.”
