More movies theatres in Toronto are opening this weekend

Now that Toronto is well into Stage 3 of reopening, movie theatres across the city and the province have begun to reopen. 

Cineplex announced several weeks ago that it would initially open 25 movie theatres in Ontario on July 31, and the company said the remaining 43 theatres would also resume operations in the following weeks. 

As a result, another five Toronto theatres are set to reopen to the public this weekend, including: 

• The Beach Cinemas
• Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
• Cineplex Cinemas Varsity and VIP
• Cineplex Cinemas Fairview Mall
• Cineplex Cinemas Scarborough

While movie theatres are one of the businesses permitted to open under Stage 3, Cineplex originally said Ontario's indoor gathering limit of 50 people was preventing them from doing so. 

The company then asked the government to bend the rules and, despite scoffs from many who felt safety rules should not be amended to improve profitability for one business, the provincial government complied. 

Cineplex movie theatres across the province are allowed to seat 50 guests per auditorium as a result, and a number of other safety measures are also in place including reserved seating in all auditoriums, reduced capacity to allow for physical distancing, enhanced cleaning practices, debit and credit payments only, limited food options, PPE for employees, keeping VIP Cinemas and the play structures in Clubhouse auditoriums closed and readily available hand sanitizer.

In communities where face coverings are mandatory in indoor public spaces, such as Toronto, customers are also required to wear masks when inside the building. 

Tickets at a Cineplex theatre are currently only $5, and movie lovers can catch some of their favourite classic movies on the big screen such as Unhinged, The Spongebob Movie, Inception and Grown Ups.