The last movie shown at the Oasis Theatre in Brooks was — the story of a man’s dream of opening a chocolate factory.

Now the southeastern Alberta city and some of its residents are trying to reopen their theatre.

Landmark Cinemas c losed the Oasis in 2023, and it sat quietly until this month, when inspectors began going over the 80-year-old building.

It’s a condition of the City of Brooks' offer to acquire the 200-seat facility for $100,000.

The plan is to rent it to a new local non-profit group that will operate the theatre, keep the community space open and maintain a service that just isn’t viable as a private enterprise.

It’s part of a larger trend to preserve independent community movie theatres in smaller centres.

“We’ve moved into a digital age, but I still think there’s

See Full Page