(Posted 9:30 a.m., Nov. 24)
New movie house to open in old Empire Theatre location
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online

Lee Demarbre holds his two children Max and Anna in front of the marquee at the new Mayfair Theatre opening Dec. 2. Fred Sherwin/Photo

Movie-goers will be happy to learn that a new family-oriented movie house will be opening next month in the former Empire Theatre building on Centrum Blvd.

The Mayfair Theatre, located in Old Ottawa South, has been offering movie-goers independent films, golden oldies, cult classics and family favourites for the past 20 years.

Starting Dec. 2, the theatre's owners will be offering the same mix of cinema treats plus some original releases at the old Empire Theatre location across from the Shenkman Arts Centre.

Opening night will feature the "Back to the Future" trilogy, "Gone With the Wind" and the original Muppet movie as well as the 1981 follow up, "The Great Muppet Caper". Throughout the opening week the theatre will also show the new Woody Allen Film "Late Night In Paris", "The Help" and "Drive".

Mayfair co-owner and Orléans resident, Lee Demarbre, got the idea after taking his son Max to get a haircut right next to the old Empire Theatre.

"It was just befiore Christmas last year. My four-year-old son Max needed a haircut and the hairdresser said, 'I wish they'd open the movie theatre again'. So when I went home I called the landlord. We met within a week and my life has been crazy ever since," says Demarbre who also has a daughter, Anna.

The first thing Demambre had to do was find furniture and equipment. The old movie theatre space had been completely gutted. Everything was gone right down to the carpet.

"There were no seats, no screen, no projectures, nothing, it was just big box," says Demambre, who went on a picking expedition to the States to find everything he needed.

"We're at this precipice where theaters are transforming from 35 milimetre to digital, so a lot of theatres who can't afford the conversion are just closing down. So myself and three other guys drove down to Wilson, North Carolina where they were converting an old theatre into church, and we got down on our hands and knees and undid all the bolts and loaded up an 18-wheel truck and drove back to Ottawa."

The new theatre has three screens with comfortable seating and a state-of-the-art sound system. Patrons will have the chance to purchase an individual membership for $10, or a family membership — good for up to two adults and four children under the age of 18 living at the same address — for just $20.

The admission price for members will be $5 per person. Non-members will pay $9 for adults, or $6 for children under 18 and seniors.

“I am terribly excited and I hope people warm up to the Mayfair in Orléans as they did in downtown,” says Demarbre.

(This story was made possible thanks to the generous support of our local business partners.)

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