The closure of Yellowknife’s only screen has left the NWT with a single remaining cinema in Hay River. The Capitol Theatre held its last screening on Tuesday evening, and with that loss local advocates and operators are recalibrating where films are shown across the territory.
What If Cinema in Hay River Becomes the Territory’s Hub?
Hay River’s Riverview Cineplex has already seen a higher profile since the Capitol Theatre’s final screening. Scott Clouthier, a member of the Hay River Film Society, said the Capitol had become a focal point for events like the Yellowknife International Film Festival and Dead North Film Festival and that “not having a space to be able to show those sorts of works is a big loss. ” The film society has run monthly screenings at the Riverview over the past four years, showcasing Canadian, Indigenous and local productions, and Clouthier suggested the closure could create an opportunity for Hay River to host an annual film festival representing the whole NWT.
- Riverview already attracts visitors from other communities and could see increased regional audiences.
- The film society’s monthly program has provided a platform for Canadian, Indigenous and local work in Hay River.
- The Capitol’s closure removes a venue used by established festivals, creating both a gap and a potential new focal point.
- Any expansion of activity in Hay River would build on existing patterns of event-driven attendance and local employment at the theatre.
How the Riverview Cineplex and Communities Are Responding
Operators of the Riverview Cineplex say they will not be changing how the theatre runs and have welcomed people from other parts of the NWT who may want to catch a movie. Terry Rowe, the property manager for theatre owner Rowes Realty, noted that the Riverview functions as a kind of regional theatre and that visitors already come from surrounding communities. Rowe described the Riverview as a small independent venue that serves as a modest tourist attraction for Hay River and that the theatre sees a noticeable influx of attendees when the community hosts events such as the summer territorial track and field championship.
Rowe pointed to a slight dip in admissions over the past year but emphasized Hay River’s loyal moviegoers and the operational advantage of the building being owned by the company, which removes leasing costs that can make northern theatres difficult to operate. He also noted the theatre was built in the late 1990s as a way for the company to give back to the community and that most kids who grew up there since then have likely worked at the theatre.
For a town of about 3, 000 people in the territory’s South Slave region, the Riverview’s continued operation offers a combination of cultural programming and local jobs that can soften the impact of losing a screening venue in Yellowknife. That mix of community use, event linkages, and ownership structure is the immediate context in which any territory-wide shift in film access will play out.
The immediate takeaways are straightforward: the Capitol Theatre’s closure reduces screening space in the NWT, the Riverview Cineplex remains committed to existing programming and to visitors from across the territory, and local advocates see both a cultural loss and an invitation to act—potentially by protecting the Riverview’s role and exploring an annual festival centered in Hay River. Readers should watch whether the community pursues that festival idea and whether Riverview’s model can sustain expanded regional demand for cinema
