Rio Theatre owner Corinne Lea says her fight with the B.C. government and its archaic liquor laws has turned into a tale of David versus Goliath.
The theatre has lost close to $40,000 and five employees have been laid off since movies were banned two weeks ago, she says.
“(In) the beginning, I was quite strong because I knew logic was on our side and I felt that this would be corrected,” Lea said. “(But now) all my time is being kept up trying to have a fight with the government. How much more can we do to try and stay in business?”
The Rio took another blow after cancelling screenings for the upcoming Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF), which opens Friday.
VIMFF director Alan Formaneck said the festival was able to find a new location at the last minute — the Denman Cinemas in the West End.
NDP MLA Jenny Kwan says solicitor general Shirley Bond can get her staff and legislative drafters to do an Order in Council, which takes no more than 24 hours, to allow the Rio to screen films.
“It’s just a stroke of the pen, literally,” Kwan said. “Pick up the pen and sign an OIC.... Cut the red tape and get on with it.
“The solution is there, and all that the government has to do is accept that solution and this will provide for the Rio to continue to operate until the larger policy decisions are made. Corinne is not asking for the moon, she’s just asking to continue on business as usual so she can survive this review period.”
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