Don't get too excited too quickly. According the Province of Ontario's re-opening plan, indoor activities will be permitted only in the third stage of loosened restrictions. That's several weeks/months away.

And it's my view that, even when theatres and cinemas are allowed to open their doors, attendance caps will be similar to what we had to endure back in 2020. Last summer and fall, we could only host 50 patrons at a time. It doesn't pay the bills.

The new owners can't be asked to lose money right from their opening day, so your next trip to the ByTowne can't happen for a while. Expect to spend your summer doing other, more outdoorsy, things (I'm personally hoping for some Odyssey Theatre and Shakespeare in the park). When attendance limits are more reasonable, movies can light up the ByTowne screen again.

I'm taking care of the ByTowne premises, changing light bulbs, making some minor repairs and tidying up around the place.

I'm also paying the bills that keep rolling in – property tax, utilities and such – so if you'd like to help me earn a few bucks until new management takes over, there are a few ways that you can still spend money at the ByTowne: