Enderby drive-in movie theatre the last of its kind in BC
Enderby's Starlight Drive-in theatre is now the last remaining standalone drive-in cinema in the province.
In September last year, Langley's Twilight Drive-In aired its last movie, making the North Okanagan the only place in the province with a standalone drive-in movie theatre.
The Starlight Drive-in is set to open its doors this spring for its 24th season.
The much-loved outdoor cinema opened its doors in 1996 and has seen a few different owners try to make a go of it until in 2002 Paul Lindquist and two other business partners bought the drive-in.
It's now preparing to open for the season in May and has a selection of Hollywood blockbusters lined up for the big screen.
The much-loved Enderby landmark appears to be on quite a different trajectory than that of Langley's Twilight Drive-In.
In 2023, Twilight Drive-In owners announced its forthcoming closure blaming a massive increase in property tax. The Lower Mainland's sky-high real estate prices saw the 11-acre site in Langley valued at $39 million, according to BC Assessment.
The Starlight Drive-in sits on Splatsin First Nation land so there's no BC Assessment property assessment value.
The growth of cities is seen as one of the major reasons for the decline of drive-in movie theatres. As cities grew the land was snapped up for real estate and drive-in's that weren't developed also now had the issue of increased light pollution. The ambient light was too much for outdoor movie screens.
READ MORE: How Enderby's Starlight Drive-in has survived in a nearly extinct business
Sitting a few kilometres outside of town, the Starlight Drive-in has managed to escape the issue of street and city lights affecting its 6,000-square feet screen – the biggest in North America.
According to the New York Film Academy, the first patented drive-in movie theatre opened in New Jersey in 1933, although drive-ins had been around for about 20 years prior.
Canada's first drive-in theatre opened in 1946, but it's difficult to get a number for how many there once were across the country in their heyday.
It's thought there were about 4,000 across the U.S. at the height of popularity of which about 300 remain.
In Canada, there are about 40 drive-ins still in existence, with the majority in Southern Ontario.
The figures show how unique the Okanagan is still having a drive-in theatre.
With the exception of the Raceway Fun Park in Prince George, which has a drive-in theatre and other attractions like go-karting and mini-golf, the Starlight Drive-in Theatre is the only one in the province.
— This article was corrected at 1:55 p.m. Wednesday, April 9, 2025, to say that Paul Lindquist and his business partners bought the drive-in in 2002, not 2022.
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