'Grassroots uprising' hoping to save 77-year-old Sackville movie house

The Vogue Cinema, in a red-brick building on Bridge Street in Sackville, was built to be a theatre.

"Whether it was a film on the screen or live presentations, it was built for sound to carry and not be overwhelming," said owner Jeffery Coates.

And that's how he wants it to stay, despite having to close the doors recently and put it up for sale in this university town, around 48 kilometres southeast of Moncton.

Some members of the community have the same goal and are hoping to come up with a plan to save the beloved theatre.

Thaddeus Holownia, the longtime programmer and director of the Sackville Film Society, is a renowned artist and emeritus professor of fine arts at Mount Allison University. He's leading the charge to save the historic art deco theatre.

"I think that the immediate response of [our] closely-knit community was, 'Hey, what are we going to do if we don't have our theatre here?'" said Holownia.

"So there was kind of a grassroots uprising and people started to communicate through social media."

The Facebook page of the film society has been attracting comments from like-minded people who have a soft spot for the Vogue.

'A gem'

The Vogue Cinema was built in 1946, according to information from Tantramar Heritage Trust.

The site was purchased in 1941 by M.E.Walker after having been vacant since 1912, when the original building was destroyed by a fire that took out an entire block in Sackville's downtown.

The building changed hands a few times, and in September of 1995, Coates found himself working there.

He fell in love with the theatre and what it did for the community.

"It was a gem to hold on to and to keep going and to tell the story that was behind it," he said.

Coates purchased the Vogue in January 2006, but shortly after, he found himself struggling as the movie industry started shifting with the introduction of digital cinema.

Before buying, Coates knew the shift to digital was coming, but he didn't think it would happen that fast. He thought he'd have time to pay off a chunk of the purchase before the transition.

But in 2012, he had to convert to a digital system because film was almost completely unavailable for theatres.

He was working on paying off that debt when the building's roof developed a leak that started causing damage. And then COVID-19 hit and Coates had to fork over more than $70,000 for a new roof at a time when the theatre wasn't bringing in patrons.

"I've spent so much of my time working full-time to survive personally, while the business was keeping itself afloat, and then all of a sudden, it's not floating, and then I'm injecting more and more time and cash from my personal life," said Coates.

"And then I just, for lack of better words, I drowned."

Coates said his hope was to retire early and put more time into the theatre, but he couldn't get there.

Hope for the future

Howlonia said in the last four or five years, the downtown core of Sackville has suffered a number of business losses, some from fire and some from the economic strain of COVID-19, so he hopes the community will be able to bring the Vogue back to life.

He pictures the Vogue becoming a cultural centre that serves multiple purposes — some nights dedicated to the film community, with others for special events, such as book launches or music performances.

But at a listing price of $299,000, the acquisition of the theatre is easier said than done. Holownia there are a lot of questions to answer before before moving ahead, including what kind of repairs the building may need and how much that would cost.

"And then, what's it cost to actually run the place and maintain it? And then figure out whether that number is something that's achievable in terms of fundraising."

He is hoping the community has time to figure things out before someone else comes along and buys the building.

"I think this would really, really be a great, heartening positive for the community," said Howlonia.

'A unique place'

Coates said the theatre has been quietly listed and there are multiple people interested, but he's working with his real estate agent to put together a presentation package for the local group and other potential buyers.

He said there's a learning curve for anyone unfamiliar with the movie industry, but if someone wants to continue using the space as intended, he is willing to train the buyer to help them succeed.

"At the end of the day, I want to see the place saved, so whatever it takes to save the place, and get it back open as soon as possible, is what my goal is," he said.

"It's such a unique place. ... You feel warm and welcomed when you're in there."