The Southland Co-op celebrated Canada150 by sponsoring free outdoor movies to its branch communities in Coronach on August 8 and Thomson Lake on August 9 and Assiniboia on August 10.
It was an experience that harkened back to the days of drive-in theatres. Today, outdoor movies are more mobile and can be set up in any outdoor space like fair grounds, ball diamonds and parks. The outdoor movie company FreshAir Cinema brought the large screen, sound system and movie, while families brought the lawn chairs, blankets and munchies.
A different family movie was shown at each location. The movie “Sing” was shown in Assiniboia at the fair grounds. According to the plot, in a city of humanoid animals, a hustling theater impresario’s attempt to save his theatre with a singing competition becomes grander than he anticipates even as its finalists’ find that their lives will never be the same. Assiniboia’s movie night took place in perfect weather after the sunset. The Southland Co-op and the Olympia Theatre had concession items. At Thomson Lake families enjoyed the Disney movie “Moana” about Moana answering the Ocean’s call to seek out the Demigod to set things right in Ancient Polynesia when a terrible curse incurred by the Demigod Maui reaches Moana’s island. The movie “Batman” was shown in Coronach. In this movie, Bruce Wayne has to deal with the usual suspects as they plan to rule Gotham City, while discovering that he has accidentally adopted a teenage orphan who wishes to become his sidekick.
After the movie, many stayed to watch nature’s night show. With clear skies, it was possible to see the beginnings of the Perseid meteor shower. Earth passes through the debris path of Comet Swift-Tuttle between July 17 to Aug. 24. The shower peaks on August 12 when Earth passes through the densest, dustiest area. The meteor shower occurs when pieces of comet debris heat up as they enter the atmosphere and burn up in a bright burst of light, streaking a vivid path across the sky as they travel at 59 km per second.
