The COVID-19 pandemic has created trials and tribulations for us all, and small business owners in particular are feeling the sting of the lockdown.

David Mulaire is the owner of Prairie City Cinema here in town and was the guest speaker at yesterday's Rotary Club lunch meeting. He shared his story with club members, including the hurdles he faced while trying to reopen the theatre; from opening the drive-in theatre to repeatedly having it shut down for ever-changing and unclear reasons.

"It's just been government roadblocks," says Mulaire, "and this is a time when businesses need a helping hand or a hand of guidance rather than roadblocks."

He explains he feels that some situations, especially those similar to that of Prairie City Cinema, weren't optimally dealt with, noting cinemas likely could have reopened at a lower capacity at the same time as restaurants given that they cater to the same clientele and even have a larger venue for social distancing.

The cinema was open as a drive-in theatre for a week in early May, offering a creative outing for folks in the community, before the government shut them down, citing that they weren't originally a drive in theatre. This was despite the fact that many other businesses in the province were given the opportunity to evolve with the times. The drive-in was able to reopen for a while later on in the summer and Mulaire notes plenty of people supported them and it helped keep them connected with the community.

"Countless times I saw so many people that would be regular movie goers coming in. It was great to see them, it was great to have their support. It made us feel that we were doing the right thing," says Mulaire.

Since the fourth phase of reopening the province took effect at the end of July, movie theatres have been allowed to reopen at 30% capacity. Mulaire says community support has been good but slow to come. He notes it is just a matter of getting people out and comfortable again. Mulaire explains for social distancing purposes every other row is marked off in the cinema, with these rows alternating on either side of the aisle. He notes multiple screenings of the same show are additionally offered to help accommodate social distancing. In addition to offering various movie screenings, Mulaire says Prairie City Cinema is open for private screenings, small conferences and video games on the big screen, something which Mulaire says they're looking at one day expanding for tournaments.

Mulaire adds he's grateful to have had the opportunity to share his story and the hardships for being closed for four months, noting he feels for all the businesses who had to pay the ultimate price and close their doors permanently.

For current events happening at the cinema, you can check out their website at http://www.prairiecitycinema.ca/.