Daily Epiphany: Porno-Theatres – Heinous or Heritage?

There’s an urban fire that flamed up in Vancouver this summer. It’s been extinguished for now, but believe me, the embers are still hot under the cement and asphalt of Vancouver’s Main Street. Some newer merchants in this trendy part of town don’t like one of the last remaining vestiges of what this area of town used to represent. What’s that you ask? Patrons going into large darkened room for the sole purpose of getting sexually aroused. Yes, The Fox cinema is a porno theatre, and the last one in the city. The theatre has been in operation for over twenty years with little controversy - at least in the last ten. But ten years is a long time in a quickly growing metropolitan. Where once there were shuttered doors and dodgy landlords, now there’s expensive clothing and coffee shops decorated to look like art galleries. What may finally close the doors to this house for trench-coat-wearing men might be the new community center opening up across the street. What will parents say when their kids ask, “Hey mom, can we go see a movie at that theatre across the street?” But there might be hope yet for this woman-run artifact. Some argue that The Fox theatre is an important piece of Vancouver’s history. It can also be argued that a city so young should hold onto its historical buildings. The obvious question is, does a 25-year-old building count as historical? I guess it is, in some sense of the word, but come on. And it could be said that porno theatres meet a very real demand in society, which if pushed underground could lead to less safety. I guess time will tell. The new community center is set to open in the fall.