Why a fundraiser to save a Saskatchewan drive-in theatre is sparking controversy
A fundraiser launched to save a drive-in theatre in Manitou Beach is proving to be controversial.
A GoFundMe was set up by Earl Hayhurst on Sept. 9 to raise money for a projector.
“After a great start to the 2022 season, the final six weeks were cancelled after major damage was done to our projector when an explosion occurred,” Hayhurst wrote in the fundraiser's description.
"As an employee years ago and now the operator of The Drive-In at Manitou Beach, this project is near and dear to me," Hayhurst said.
The $50,000 fundraiser which seeks to replace the projector at one of Saskatchewan's last remaining drive-in theatres garnered attention on social media — and prompted a response from the Resort Village of Manitou Beach.
"The Resort Village of Manitou Beach (RVMB) owns the drive-in theatre and contents of the building," a Sept. 12 Facebook post said.
"Please be advised that the (village) has not sanctioned or approved any fundraising efforts for a new drive-in projector."
Village administrator Elise Dale told CTV News it's up to the village's elected council to make decisions in regards to the property and that Hayhurst operates the drive-in as a contractor.
The RVMB Facebook post said the council is "currently deliberating action in regards to the state of the drive-in"
“We're not saying we don't support his efforts. We're saying he started them without getting consent from the Resort Village of Manitou Beach and council is in a precarious situation between responsibility for public funds of their ratepayers,” Dale explained.
Hayhurst did not return calls from CTV News.
As of Friday afternoon, the GoFundMe had raised more than $3,000.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.