Empire Theatres

This article is about the former Canadian movie theatre chain. For the British cinema company, see Empire Cinemas. For other uses, see Empire Theatre (disambiguation).
Empire Theatres Limited
Company typePrivate (subsidiary of Empire Company Ltd.)
IndustryMovie theatres
Predecessors
FoundedDecember 15, 1978
DefunctOctober 31, 2013
Fate
  • 24 sold to Cineplex in Atlantic Canada. (23 in operation as of 2017)[1]
  • 23 sold to Landmark Cinemas in Ontario and Western Canada.
  • 1 owned by Imagine Cinemas in Ontario.
  • 1 owned by independent owners in British Columbia.
  • 1 Drive-in closed
  • 2 others remain closed.
Successors
Headquarters
Stellarton, Nova Scotia
Area served
Canada
Key people
Stuart G. Fraser, President and CEO
Valerie J. Ryan, COO
Paul Wigginton, Vice-President and CFO
Number of employees
approx. 3000

Empire Theatres Limited was a movie theater chain in Canada, a subsidiary of Empire Company Ltd., the holding company of the Sobey family conglomerate.

In June 2013, Empire announced it would exit the movie theatre business, selling the vast majority of locations to Cineplex (24 in Atlantic Canada) and Landmark Cinemas (23, in Ontario and western Canada, including two locations originally slated to be purchased by Cineplex and the Downtown Ottawa theatre).[2] Five other locations in operation at the time of the announcement were not included in either deal and were closed, Two of these locations re-opened again at a later date under different owners[3][4][5] and two other locations remain closed along with one Drive-in.

  1. ^ "Halifax's iconic Oxford Theatre to close next month". August 31, 2017.
  2. ^ "Empire Company Announces Sale of Empire Theatres".
  3. ^ "Rainbow Elgin Mills Cinema opens November 20". Archived from the original on November 7, 2017.
  4. ^ "Capitol 6 reopens, starring luxury recliners". Victoria Times Colonist.
  5. ^ "Victoria's renovated Capitol 6 reopens Nov. 4 as luxury multiplex". October 19, 2016.