Toronto's worst escalator is finally going to be fixed for good

Merry TIFF-mas to your legs!

After years of gracefully stepping aside to let Hollywood use our streets, theatres and restaurants each September, Toronto is finally getting something in return (ya know, on top of the millions and millions in tourism dollars.)

Cineplex has confirmed ahead of this year's Toronto International Film Festival that the Scotiabank Theatre will have operational escalators once again "within the next few days."

This means that the era of hiking up five storeys to sit down for two hours is coming to an end – and it can't come fast enough for regular patrons of the John and Richmond theatre.

Scotiabank Theater means beautiful escalators forever under repair. pic.twitter.com/Zd6r3WgkBC

— Bram (@ReelBramz) August 16, 2017

The nearly 20 year old escalators have been breaking down periodically since at least 2013, forcing locals to hoof it up 75 stairs and get sweaty when they least expect it (like during movie dates — gross.)

Last year's film festival brought the escalator situation to a head, however, when international film critics and executives started griping about the steps on Twitter. A lot of them. Enough to warrant an article in The Hollywood Reporter. Enough, apparently, to make Cineplex fix the problem in time for TIFF 2017.

For reference, this is the massive escalator that is out of service at Scotiabank Theatre. #TIFF16 pic.twitter.com/ia6SKWl2TB

— Max Covill (@mhcovill) September 8, 2016

Metro reports that film-goers will be able to ride up and down the escalators at Scotiabank theatre by Sept. 7, at the latest. One is newly installed, while the other is still under repair.

Cineplex hopes to have the second new escalator running permanently by Spring 2018, but there won't be any construction on it during TIFF – probably to prevent the kind of outrage and mockery we saw from rich Californians last year.