A popular staple in North Dundas are the “Moovies” put on frequently at the Old Town Hall. These exciting events make use of the Township’s very own movie theatre to give youth a taste of being able to walk to a local entertainment venue. The Moovies are still going strong and as popular as ever, but volunteers are needed to ensure continued success.
Aaron Dellah, who is currently in charge of the Moovies, reports that average attendance at the events is 50% capacity, or about 50 out of 97 seats. “Unless you are involved with an organized activity – sports or classes of some kind – there are very few places where the residents of North Dundas can go just to hang out, especially young children and teens,” said Aaron. “Moovies nights provide a safe, friendly environment for kids of all ages to go. I have seen many a “first date” come through the doors, and many more tweens being dropped off by mum and dad to meet up with their friends.”
The Moovies are run as a non-profit operation, with ticket prices only meant to cover costs, not to turn a profit. The idea is to keep this important form of local entertainment affordable for families from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
But how much work is it to put on the Moovies? “A typical movie day is run by 4 volunteers working a 7 hour day,” Aaron explained. “This work is mainly done by high school volunteers. Outside of the actual movie day, there is an additional 30 hours of work done in planning, advertising, recruiting volunteers, stocking the canteen, accounting, and fulfilling licensing requirements.” Aaron believes that a committee of 4-5 adults could take over the various “executive” roles in running the movies, with the usual 3-4 high school volunteers still needed to run the operations.
The admission fee for the Moovies goes toward licensing fees, advertising, rent, and the movies themselves. The event is covered under the Township’s existing insurance. Other expenses which are funded by profits from the canteen are those such as equipment upgrades, and pizza for the volunteers that make the event happen.
In addition to the Moovies events, there are also free movies put on for local schools and non-profit groups. When profits do get made from any of the Moovies events, they are put toward improvements to the Old Town Hall.
Aaron has no doubt that a small committee can take over the Moovies when he is ready to “hang his hat” after May of 2025. “All my children have finished high school and moved on. Time for me to do the same,” said Aaron.
Those interested in being committee members or volunteers can get in touch with Aaron by email at info@moovies.ca, by phone at 613-441-2021 (landline), or on Facebook Messenger – “North Dundas Theatre”.
