Landmark Cinemas

Landmark Cinema of Canada Inc. is a Canadian cinema chain. Based in Calgary, Alberta, Landmark operates 40 theatres with 325 screens,[2] primarily in Ontario and western Canada. Its holdings include much of the former Empire Theatres chain which it acquired in late 2013, and some Famous Players locations divested as part of that chain's purchase by Cineplex Entertainment. Landmark is the second-largest cinema chain in Canada after Cineplex. It was acquired by Belgium company Kinepolis in 2017 for $123 million.

This article is about the Canadian cinema chain. For the similarly-named American chain, see Landmark Theatres.
Landmark Cinemas of Canada Inc.
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryMovie theatres
FoundedMay 7, 1965[1]
Headquarters
Calgary, Alberta[1]
Number of locations
40[2]
Area served
Ontario, Central & Western Canada & the Yukon Territory
Key people
Bill Walker, CEO
OwnerKinepolis Group
Number of employees
approx. 2500
SubsidiariesLandmark Cinemas Canada LP
Websitelandmarkcinemas.com

History

Landmark Cinemas is the umbrella name originally covering the holdings of Towne Cinemas, Rokemay Cinemas, and occasionally May Theatres. It was adopted in 1974 after the purchase of Rothstein Theatres, which was the first big expansion for the company, adding about 15 locations (some closed immediately or sold and were never operated by Landmark).

Another expansion took place in 1984, when it purchased most of the Alberta and British Columbia assets of Canadian Odeon Theatres as part of that chain's merger into Cineplex Odeon Corporation, now Cineplex Entertainment.

In late 2013, Landmark Cinemas announced the purchase of 23 theatres in Ontario and Western Canada from Empire Theatres. It later added the Kanata and Whitby locations that were to be sold to Cineplex Entertainment, plus Ottawa's World Exchange Plaza.[3] This transaction made Landmark the second-largest cinema chain in Canada with 54 locations and 359 screens. The sale also included five IMAX screens in Calgary, Kitchener, Whitby, Kingston and Ottawa's Kanata location,[4] and three Empire Extra screens in Calgary, Waterloo, and Ottawa's Orleans location.[5][6] Empire promotional offers such as Reel Deal Tuesdays and University/College Student Combo were carried over by Landmark, but only some locations offer these discounts.

Empire Theatres in Ontario and Western Canada closed on October 31, 2013, after the evening shows which also closed Empire Theatres permanently. The sale closed on October 31, 2013, and on November 1, 2013, the theatres reopened as Landmark Cinemas.[7] Branding name changes occurred in late 2013 at the former Empire Theatres locations. Landmark Cinemas only operated the World Exchange Plaza theatre on a management contract for only two months in late 2013, from November 1 to December 31 when its lease expired.[8][9]

In September 2017, Landmark announced its sale to the Belgian exhibitor Kinepolis for $123 million, pending regulatory approval.[10][11] On December 8, 2017, Landmark announced the completion of the sale to Kinepolis Group.[12]

Operations

Premium seating

Reserve Recline Relax is a premium theatre offering available at no additional charge at 19 Landmark Cinemas locations, plus one Edmonton location coming soon. Seats are reserved in advance and consist of larger, sofa-like chairs comparable to Cineplex VIP Cinemas, though without the legal drinking age requirement or alcohol service. To make room for these seats, theatres now have 60% fewer seats.[13]

Premiere Seats consist of two different versions. The Cranbrook location has non recliner premiere style seating, while the Edmonton Tamarack locations has recliner premiere seats, which are similar to Landmarks other recliner seats but add privacy screens, coat hooks, side tables, plus adjustable headrests and heated seats.

Premium screens

Landmark Cinemas features several premium large format screens. These require an additional cost compared to a regular admission and offer reserved seating.

  • The company currently operates five digital IMAX screens. One is in Calgary, Alberta (Country Hills) and four are in Ontario at the Kingston, Kitchener, Kanata and Whitby locations. All of these were previously owned by Empire Theatres and, with the exception of Kingston, were in turn previously owned by AMC Theatres (Kanata and Whitby) or Famous Players (SilverCity in Calgary and Kitchener).
  • Extra Experience, formerly known as Empire Extra, is a large screen theatre concept debuted by Empire Theatres and acquired by Landmark. This technology is available at three locations: Orleans, Waterloo and Winnipeg (Grant Park 8). The technology was installed by Empire, with the exception of the Winnipeg location, where Landmark installed the technology in May 2015 and premiered Pitch Perfect 2 on Extra.[14] These theatres use a Barco 2K projector, a custom-designed 7.1 surround sound system and faux leather seats.[15]
  • Xtreme is available exclusively at the West Kelowna, BC location. It is a Landmark Cinemas brand similar to the Extra Experience, but in lieu of Extra's 7.1 surround sound, Xtreme uses Dolby Atmos (formerly Barco Auro 11.1) surround sound, and recliner seating.
  • Laser Ultra is available at the following locations; Surrey, New Westminster, Calgary Shawnessy, Calgary Market Mall, Calgary Country Hills, St. Albert, Edmonton Tamarack, Fort McMurray, Saskatoon, Regina, Brandon and St. Catharines. These premium screens feature 4K laser projectors, Dolby Atmos surround sound, and recliner seating.

Locations
Theatre name City Format Former Owner/Opened Premium Large Format

Alberta

OasisBrooksTraditionalP. Ubertino
Country HillsCalgarySilverCityFamous Players, Empire TheatresDigital IMAX Laser Ultra
Market MallCalgaryStadiumOpened December 19, 2019Laser Ultra
ShawnessyCalgaryColiseumFamous Players, Empire TheatresLaser Ultra
CardiumDrayton ValleyTraditionalIrvin Janzen
City CentreEdmontonTraditionalCineplex Odeon, Empire Theatres—
TamarackEdmontonStadiumOpened June 10, 2021Laser Ultra
NovaEdsonTraditionalT. Fowler
Fort McMurrayFort McMurrayTraditional?Laser Ultra
Spruce GroveSpruce GroveTraditionalMagic Lantern Theatres, Empire Theatres—
St. Albert St. Albert Traditional—Laser Ultra
Sylvan LakeSylvan LakeTraditional?—

British Columbia

Showcase 5Campbell RiverTraditionalCaprice Showcase Theatres—
RialtoCourtenayTraditional?—
ColumbiaCranbrookTraditional?—
Aurora Cinema CentreFort St. JohnTraditional?—
Grand 10KelownaStadiumCaprice Showcase Theatres—
Avalon Cinema CentreNanaimoStadium?—
Landmark 10New WestminsterStadiumBuilt by LandmarkLaser Ultra
Landmark 7PentictonStadiumBuilt by Landmark—
ParamountPort AlberniTraditionalFamous Players—
GuildfordSurreySilverCityNational General Cinemas, Famous Players, Empire Theatres—
Capitol EncoreWest KelownaTraditionalCaprice Showcase Theatres—
Landmark 8 & XtremeWest KelownaStadiumBuilt by LandmarkLandmark Xtreme

Manitoba

Capitol 9BrandonStadiumEmpire TheatresLaser Ultra
Southland 5WinklerTraditionalMagic Lantern Theatres
Grant Park 8WinnipegStadiumNational General Cinemas, Cineplex Odeon, Empire Theatres—

Ontario

BoltonBoltonContemporaryEmpire Theatres—
Jackson SquareHamiltonContemporaryFamous Players, Empire Theatres—
KingstonKingstonContemporaryEmpire TheatresDigital IMAX
KitchenerKitchenerSilverCityFamous Players, Empire TheatresDigital IMAX
KanataOttawaAMC TheatresAMC Theatres, Empire TheatresDigital IMAX
LondonLondonTraditionalFamous Players, Empire Theatres—
OrleansOttawaContemporaryEmpire TheatresExtra Experience
Pen CentreSt. CatharinesSilverCityFamous Players, Empire TheatresLaser Ultra
WaterlooWaterlooContemporaryEmpire TheatresExtra Experience
WhitbyWhitbyAMC TheatresAMC Theatres, Empire TheatresDigital IMAX

Saskatchewan

AuroraReginaStadiumOpened October 2019Laser Ultra
Brighton GateSaskatoonStadiumOpened June 2018Laser Ultra

Former theatres
Theatre name City Format Former owner

Alberta

RoxyAirdrieTraditional
Gaiety TheatreGrande PrairieTraditionalR. Norton
Globe TheatreCalgaryTraditional
Jan CinemaGrande PrairieTraditionalR. Norton
Jasper Cinema CentreEdmontonTraditional
Landmark 10 ClareviewEdmontonTraditionalCineplex Odeon, Empire Theatres
Lux CinemaBanffTraditionalLandmark Cinemas
Lyric TheatreGrande PrairieTraditional
Prairie Cinema CentreGrande PrairieTraditional?
Towne Cinema CentreEdmontonTraditionalOwned by Landmark as a single
Wapiti Drive-InGrande PrairieDrive-InGeorge Repka
Landmark SixFort McMurrayTraditionalMay Theatres

British Columbia

Armond TheatreCranbrookTraditionalJ. Purnell/Famous Players
Bay TheatreNanaimoTraditionalFamous Players
Coronet TheatrePrince GeorgeTraditionalFamous Players
Centre CinemaDawson CreekTraditional?
Crest TheatreDawson CreekTraditionalNorthland Theatres Ltd.
EsplanadeNorth VancouverTraditionalFamous Players, Empire Theatres
Galaxy TheatreCampbell RiverTraditional?
Grand 6 CinemasAbbotsfordTraditionalCineplex Odeon
Lido TheatreFort St. JohnTraditionalC. Brooks
Mission TheatreMissionTraditionalVictory Theatres Ltd.
Paramount TheatreChilliwackTraditionalFamous Players
Paramount TheatreKamloopsTraditionalFamous Players
Paramount TheatreKelownaTraditionalFamous Players
Penmar Cinema CentrePentictonTraditionalPenMar Theatre Ltd
Royal TheatreTrailTraditionalOdeon
Towne CinemaVernonTraditionalFamous Players
Towne Cinema CentreAbbotsfordTraditionalbuilt as Landmark partnership
Vic TheatreVictoriaTraditionalBuilt by Landmark
Westbank Drive-InWest KelownaDrive-in?

Manitoba

GarrySelkirkTraditionalRothstein Theatres
Globe TheatreWinnipegTraditionalFamous Players
Towne 8WinnipegTraditionalCineplex Odeon

Ontario

Landmark Cinemas Square OneMississaugaTraditionalCineplex Odeon, Empire Theatres
World Exchange PlazaOttawaTraditionalCineplex Odeon, Empire Theatres

Saskatchewan

C & H Drive-InLloydminsterDrive-InMay Theatres
Cinema 6 Drive-InReginaDrive-InRothstein Theatres
Roxy TheatreSaskatoonTraditionalRothstein Theatres
Soo TheatreWeyburnTraditionalRothstein Theatres
TowerYorktonTraditionalRothstein Theatres
Yukon
Qwanlin MallWhitehorseTraditional
Yukon Cinema CentreWhitehorseTraditional

References
  1. "About Us". Landmarkcinemas.com. Retrieved 2013-06-28.
  2. "About Landmark Cinemas".
  3. "Competition Bureau concerns result in changes to proposed movie theatre merger". 9 October 2013.
  4. "IMAX Movies Combo". Landmark Cinemas. Archived from the original on 2016-06-16. Retrieved 2016-06-16.
  5. "Empire Company Announces Sale of Empire Theatres". Canada Newswire. CNW Group. June 27, 2013. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
  6. "Landmark Cinemas of Canada Announces Acquisition of Twenty Empire Theatres". MMD Newswire. Mass Media Distribution. June 27, 2013. Archived from the original on July 1, 2013. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
  7. "Landmark Cinemas Canada Proceeds to Transition and Ownership After Receiving Approval from Competition Bureau to Complete Acquistion [sic] of 22 Empire Theatres in Western Canada and Ontario". Archived from the original on 2013-10-31. Retrieved 2013-10-31.
  8. "Cinema chain taking over World Exchange theatre, hopes to keep it open". ottawacitizen.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-31.
  9. "Last movie to be shown by Landmark at World Exchange". ottawacitizen.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-24.
  10. "TriWest | Kinepolis Group NV reaches agreement to purchase Landmark Cinemas Canada LP".
  11. "Landmark Cinemas chain sold to Belgian firm for $123M". Canadian Press. 2017-09-18. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
  12. "Kinepolis Group NV completes acquisition of Landmark Cinemas Canada LP".
  13. "Recliner Seats". Landmark Cinemas. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  14. "Pitch, Please - Win Passes to Pitch Perfect 2". 103.1 Virgin Radio Winnipeg. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  15. Charlebois, Brieanna. "Tell Us About Us Comment".
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