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Staying on screen
Uxbridge is fortunate to be home to a number of unique and special businesses, ones that give us some wonderful advantages over a lot of other towns our size.
As you will see from the ad on page 12 of this issue, one of those businesses is facing a tough challenge: the Roxy is being obliged to upgrade to digital projection if it wants to continue screening first-run films. When Cathy Christoff first talked to me about the ad, she said that she and husband Mark, who opened the Roxy 16 years ago, had lost a lot of sleep over the decision to raise their ticket prices.
“A two-dollar jump is pretty large,” she said. “What will our customers do? If they stay away, the equipment change will be for nothing. We’ll have to close.”
And that, of course, would break the Christoffs’ hearts. Although they each have other business interests, the Roxy is their dream. Their mutual love of film prompted them to transform the old quonset hut beside the library to the magical place it continues to be. No other small town in Ontario has anything quite like it.
And in the 16 years since they opened the place (a period during which the price of gasoline has doubled), the Roxy’s adult ticket price has gone up by exactly 50 cents, from $7.50 to $8.00. In the last decade, it hasn’t gone up at all. Compared to the prices at the multi-plexes in Whitby or Newmarket, it’s an incredible bargain. And the fact is, that even when the price goes up to $10, it’ll still be a bargain. And that doesn’t even take into account what you save in gas.
On top of all that, when you buy a ticket at the Roxy, you’re not just paying for a movie; you’re supporting one of the most community-minded businesses the town has ever had. It would be hard to calculate the donations the Christoffs have made to worthy local causes over the years, with events such as Oscar Night or “Movies, Martinis and Manicures”. The cheques they’ve made out to the Cottage Hospital Foundation alone are well into the six figures.
They are also the only business that we’re aware of, anywhere, that has founded a volunteer action group as part of their operation. The Roxy Kids are everywhere, pitching in to help at everything from spring park cleanups, to building bridges on trails, to serving goodies at parties in seniors’ homes. The Kids are not only an incalculable boon to the community, the experience they provide to their young members is priceless.
So we would be surprised indeed if the Roxy takes a hit at the box office by raising its prices a paltry two dollars. The vast majority of those who enter its welcoming doors now, do so because it is a great intimate venue to watch a movie with friends and neighbours, and because they know the business is a vital part of what makes Uxbridge a great place to raise a family.
The cost to the Christoffs of going digital is hinted at in the ad (keep in mind that the Roxy has two screens, not just one). So that’s the dollar cost. They shouldn’t have to worry about losing their customers as well. We predict they won’t. Even after tomorrow, they will still offer the best entertainment bargain around. Which will make it very easy to continue to thank them for being such amazing corporate citizens.
July 14, 2011
