Cineplex calls Ontario provincial reopening plan 'absurd'

Yesterday, the Ontario government revealed its reopening plan. Some fear that the plan is stretched too long and is damaging to business.

One such figure is Ellis Jacob, the president and CEO of Cineplex, who criticized Ford for continuing to ban residents from returning to movie theatres, arguing that the business has proven to be low-risk.

"It is absurd – we are all losing the summer. Canadian cinemas have welcomed more than six million guests during the pandemic and there have been zero resulting cases of COVID-19 in Ontario, Canada, or the world," Jacob said.

Jacob also noted that theaters remain open in Quebec (they have been since February), albeit with limits of 250 guests per viewing room.

"Based on what we heard today, cinemas will be locked down in Ontario longer than any other jurisdiction in the world, all due to a government that ignores the facts," he added.

Under Ontario's reopening plan, indoor cinemas will not be allowed to reopen until step three, the date of which is uncertain. Step one is set to begin in late June; step three might only come at the end of the summer.