A Timeline of the Yukon Theatre

A look into the history, current operations and future prospects for one of the territory’s most iconic landmarks.

Written by Morgan Iskra and Daniel Bunn

Yukon Theatre-8

Of the few original buildings still standing in the downtown core of Whitehorse, the Yukon Theatre is arguably the most iconic. From its vintage neon sign, to the old rickety seats, and the one-of-a-kind retro carpet that’s imprinted in most Yukoners’ memories, this theatre is an honorable part of the city’s history.

We got the opportunity to ask Andrew Connors, the artistic director of the Yukon Film Society, a few questions about the classic building since YFS took it over in 2021. As Andrew shared, the restoration of the theatre hasn’t been without its fair share of challenges, but there are many eager and passionate people working on reviving the once-shining gem of a theatre.

Let’s look at the history of this local cinema, where it’s at today, and what plans the film society has for it in the future.

“Running an independent cinema in 2023, in a town of 32,000 people, is a public service.”

The Yukon Theatre first opened in December of 1954, owned by Sam McClimon. It was built during the postwar wave of excitement that swept North America, which catalyzed the construction of many social spaces across the nation and fueled the growing field of entertainment.

In 1980, the Yukon Theatre was taken over by Landmark Cinemas, which is currently Canada’s second largest film exhibition company. Many Yukoners will remember that the theatre was once one screen, prior to Landmark’s decision to twin the auditorium in 1987. With that came other small fixes and updates to the building, but that was the last time it received any elbow grease from Landmark. Under their ownership, our small, local theatre had little financial support for upkeep and building maintenance, which, over the past three decades, resulted in the slow deterioration of the property.

The many years of neglect took its toll on the theatre. Seats were broken or missing, and the floors were sticky. The screens and sound systems were outdated. The bathrooms desperately needed renovation, and so on. According to the public’s online reviews, no one was impressed with the condition of the building. Tourists were appalled at the state of it, and locals were disappointed to see its decline.

Then, as the Covid-19 pandemic hit the territory in 2020, both the Qwanlin and Yukon Theatres shut their doors to the public. The following year, Landmark sold both the properties, leaving citizens unsure if either space would ever return to business.

Luckily, the Yukon Film Society – an artist-driven organization that supports filmmakers and exhibits independent film and media arts – swooped in and reopened the Yukon Theatre doors in December of 2021. In agreement with the new property owners down south, YFS were able to show films once again, though still restricted by seating capacity in the height of the Omicron wave.

Today, the Yukon Theatre is getting the love that it’s been needing for so long. Andrew Connors, who started at YFS when he returned to the Yukon in ’99 after making his first movie, shares how the film society has invested in the theatre.

“We have upgraded certain safety elements of the building,” says Connors. This has meant installing new emergency lighting, fireproofing the mechanical room, and fixing the heating system. They’ve also been working to improve the building’s energy efficiency by air sealing the walls and doors, and are in talks with Energy North to dig the foundation on the west auditorium wall to re-insulate. Other maintenance has included steam cleaning the carpets and seats, washing walls, and updating concession appliances.

For the twinned auditoriums, YFS removed the old screen in cinema one. They then put in a larger 16 by 9 foot screen that perfectly fits the motion picture ratio known professionally as “flat,” often used in television and indie films. YFS also brought their own projector down from the Yukon Arts Centre and fitted it with a new lens. To upgrade the theatre’s “mono sound,” as Connors calls it, the film society transplanted speakers from the unused Qwanlin theatre, creating a 5.1 surround sound. “It was important to us to make the [audience’s] experience as great as possible.”

All of these changes have been carefully budgeted. After taking over the space in 2021, YFS received a $35,000 grant from the Yukon Government. However, Connors shares that “only part of that was for operations.” The other part was to hire a consultant to come up with an energy efficiency plan, conduct a structural assessment, and formulate a business plan. Still, this grant proved helpful for getting things off the ground.

Yukon Theatre-2

It’s come a long way, but this famed Whitehorse theatre is still changing. YFS hopes to de-twin the auditorium in the near future, turning it back into one, large cinema. At the same time, the team wants to get new, raked seating, a larger screen, and advance to 7.1 surround sound.

In addition to the larger pending upgrades, there are some small changes on their way. The building will have new automatic doors for the accessible entrance. YFS is also looking at putting a budget together for the neon sign restoration – a project that will no-doubt excite the Whitehorse community.

“I think a lot of people would be really happy to see this building restored – bring it back to its mid-century glory.”

Andrew Connors has also been public about making the theatre into a multipurpose space. He’s working with a contractor to, within the next few months, design and build an event stage for cinema two. “We could more easily put on concerts, comedy nights, readings, talks, and such,” he shares. The stage would extend across the north wall once the auditorium is de-twinned, and would require extra staffing and budgeting.

“The building can become a real jewel in the downtown core of Whitehorse,” says Connors, and it’s well on its way. Not only is the theatre getting a facelift, YFS is reimagining its purpose. What once was a place to see only blockbusters is now fostering Yukon-based media, inspiring the youth, and sharing unique stories. And it’s all thanks to the passionate, dedicated people at the Yukon Film Society.

Just two short years ago, it felt like the only thing in the theatre’s path was a wrecking ball. Now there’s hope for the iconic building. We can’t wait to see what YFS does with the space, but we know it’ll always have the same quirky charm.