The Port Alberni branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) will be taking over managing operations of the Landmark Cinema effective October 1, 2025.
An anonymous, private owner purchased Landmark Cinema earlier this year and chose to pass management rights onto the Port Alberni branch of the CMHA. No major changes are expected to take place after the switch in management, except changing how profits are allocated and a name change.
The Alberni branch of CMHA operates with its own separate board of directors and financially runs independently with the support of local organizations and contributing community members. All of the mental health services the branch provides are within Port Alberni and the surrounding Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District.
Similarly, managing the cinema will diversify the funding streams for the local branch.
“It’s a good thing for non-profits and charities to look outside straight government contracts for funding, which was the first goal for the management of the theatre,” said Alberni CMHA Executive Director Katrina Kiefer.
The easy accessibility of the local branch is what makes Kiefer optimistic about the theatre being a success for the CMHA. Not only do the funds go back into service delivery locally, but the people of Port Alberni will be able to reach out to the CMHA regarding any requests or questions about how the theatre will be operated.
Besides branching beyond traditional methods of funding, the cinema also fulfills many different aspects of CMHA’s missions, says Kiefer, such as psychosocial rehab and opposing stigma to mental health.
“[The cinema] brings community together, so it hits our vision as far as countering isolation … it brings people together in an emotionally safe way,” said Kiefer, “and we can be responsive to the wants and needs of the community in a social aspect.”
The Landmark Cinema will continue on as “The Savoy” starting October 3, with a showing of “Downtown Abbey: The Grand Finale” to mark the renamed cinema’s initiation.