Sept. 8: Cine-Parc Orford, Sherbrooke QC

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Cars at the drive-in, with a screen in the distance

Photo from the Ciné-Parc Orford Facebook page

It’s Day 251 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey and my fifth day in Quebec. It took me about an hour and a half to drive from Mont-Saint-Hilaire to the Cine-Parc Orford, just a little northeast of Sherbrooke.

The Orford opened in 1972 and survived until the end of the 2012 season. The following March, owner André Monette announced that it would not reopen for the 2013 season. One year later, three investors bought the drive-in and purchased everything that would be needed to convert both of its screens to digital projection. According to EstriePlus.com, those three were David Hurtubise, president of HB Pictures Productions, Jean-Yves Martel, a special effects producer in Montreal and Toronto, and René Gazaille, a general contractor.

Digital projection also allowed the Orford to introduce a wonderful innovation on Screen One. It shows English-language movies on two radio channels, one with the original dialogue and one dubbed in French. That’s such a great solution that should be used more often in other bilingual drive-in situations. Screen Two, by the way, is French only.

The CBC ran a nice little video, which I wish I could embed, in July 2015. It interviews Martel and provides a nice glimpse of the rejuvenated Orford. “C’est une clientèle qui était disparue et qui revient avec les nouveaux projecteurs et les films d’animation pour enfants,” Martel said. Google Translate thinks that might mean “It’s a clientele that was missing and comes back with the new projectors and the children’s animation films,” but that sounds pretty clunky to me.

In April 2016, as the Orford was preparing to open for another season, Martel told Le Reflet du Lac that business really took off in 2015. “C’est assez incroyable ce qu’on a vécu l’année passée, admet l’un des actionnaires,” he said. “Jurassic Park et Les Mignons ont vraiment attiré beaucoup de gens, au point tel que certains soirs, ça créait un bouchon près de l’autoroute!” Which might translate to “It’s pretty incredible what we lived last year. Jurassic Park and Minions really attracted a lot of people, to the point that some evenings created a cork near the highway!” Or traffic jam, you get the idea. The article also mentioned that Hurtubise had left “l’aventure.”

A note on the regional (local? I’m so confused) chamber of commerce site said that there are plenty of activities to keep patrons busy before each night’s show, including a makeup artist, inflatable games, and a volleyball court. “Attendre les films n’aura jamais été aussi plaisant!” or “Waiting for movies has never been so pleasant!” What a great slogan!

Thanks to the bilingual screen one, I watched the 2013 remake of Carrie as the start of a “weekend de l’horreur” horror movie weekend at the Orford. This was my last night in Quebec, and I never watched a movie in French. C’est la vie.

Miles Today / Total: 73 / 28750 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Carrie / 161

Nearby Restaurant: My recent inexpensive meals and lodging built up enough surplus for me to try one that’s pricier than I usually prefer, but I simply couldn’t pass up any restaurant called the Antidote FoodLab. My shepherd’s pie was made with “horse cheek” (please tell me that’s a bad translation on the English menu), and my crackerjack dessert was made with popcorn ice cream and peanut butter powder. Adventurous and amazing!

Where I Virtually Stayed: The occasion called for another less expensive, non-chain place to stay, and I got lucky with the Motel Lennoxville. The room included a full kitchenette, and everything was clean and comfortable. It was easy walking distance to a humble breakfast at McDonalds, and I was ready to say au revoir to la belle province.

Only in Sherbrooke: On a rainy sort of day like this one, it’s a great time to visit Musee De La Nature Et Des Sciences, what I would call the Museum of Nature and Sciences. Its Terra Mutantes interactive exhibit lets visitors witness the birth of the Appalachian Mountains, cross the lava fields, feel the continents shift and watch the glaciers. All in less than half an hour!

Next stop: Skylite Drive-In, Madawaska ME.

Sept. 7: Cine-Parc Mont St-Hilaire, Mont-Saint-Hilaire QC

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It’s Day 250 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. This was a very short drive to go just a bit farther east from Montreal. It took barely 20 minutes for me to go from the Cine-parc Boucherville, in Boucherville of course, to the Cine-Parc Mont St-Hilaire, in Mont-Saint-Hilaire QC of course.

The Ciné-Parc Mont St-Hilaire opened in July 1972, added a second screen in 1981, and has stayed in operation every year since. Those two screens are adjacent to each other at an approximate right angle. I can’t think of another double-screen drive-in I’ve seen with that configuration.

The drive-in has survived at least two fires. On the night of August 21 2010, thieves tied up an employee, stole the night’s proceeds and torched “the drive-in building” according to CTV News. No one was ever charged with that crime. One year later to the day, fire broke out on a Sunday afternoon in the main building and burned through the roof, as reported by Zone911.com.

After recovering from those fires, the Mont St-Hilaire worked through a more common issue, converting to digital projection. TVA Nouvelles interviewed then-co-owner Clément Longpré in 2012 about the upcoming off-season transition. “Les gens viennent nous voir et nous demandent si on va fermer à cause du numérique … On est là pour rester,” Longpré said. Google Translate says that means, “People come to see us and ask us if we are going to close because of digital … We are here to stay.”

In July 2017, Kevin Patenaude became co-owner of the Mont St-Hilaire. He told Les Versants that digital projection has led to an increase in customers. “C’est la même technologie qu’au cinéma, ce qui nous permet de commencer nos films plus tôt, avant la noirceur totale,” Patenaude said, which I hope translates to, “It is the same technology as the cinema, which allows us to start our films earlier, before the total darkness.”

Patenaude’s new acquisition was also featured in L’OEil Régional. “(J)e savais que le ciné-parc allait être vendu, j’ai sauté sur l’occasion. J’avais le goût de posséder mon entreprise dans le milieu du divertissement. Je me suis rendu compte que c’était ma passion,” he said. Again, I believe that’s at least close to, “I knew the movie theater was going to be sold, I jumped at the opportunity. I had the taste of owning my business in the entertainment business. I realized it was my passion.”

I’m so glad to have another YouTube drone video to embed here. It’s the longest one I’ve seen so far, and it shows just how remote this drive-in really is.

The Ciné-Parc Mont St-Hilaire is still open for a few more Fridays and Saturdays this season, but Thursdays are right out. I hope to find a few more weeknight programs in the weeks to come.

Miles Today / Total: 14 / 28677 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: dark / 160

Nearby Restaurant: For some gourmet burgers and beer in a fun setting that’s easy on the budget, my choice was Shack Attakk. My Hors-piste (off-road) burger had mushrooms, some maple-y bacon, and duck, I think. Add a “chic-choc” chocolate milkshake and some fries, and I had a perfectly tasty meal. I’ll eat healthy next time, honest.

Where I Virtually Stayed: The Motel Le Transit is the closest hotel to the drive-in and seems to be the only hotel that is actually in Mont-Saint-Hilaire. My room had a fridge and free wifi. There was coffee in the lobby and a bar with video poker machines. For breakfast, there’s an adjacent McDonalds, and the price of the room left plenty of cash to get whatever I wanted. This motel is well-suited for a quick stop on the Trans-Canada Highway, and that was just what I needed.

Only in Mont-Saint-Hilaire: La Maison Amerindienne recognizes the Native American way of life in Quebec. On cultural Thursdays, it hosts guided tours through its exhibition featuring “son du tambour, un chant de bienvenue et une cérémonie de purification,” which is what I would call the sound of the drum, a welcome song and a cleansing ceremony.

Next stop: Cine-Parc Orford, Sherbrooke QC.

Sept. 6: Cine-parc Boucherville, Boucherville QC

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It’s Day 249 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. I circled Montreal from the northwest to the northeast, from the Drive-in Saint-Eustache, in Saint-Eustache of course, to the Cine-parc Boucherville in Boucherville QC of course. The drive only took about 40 minutes.

The Ciné-Parc Boucherville was the first drive-in to open in Quebec in July 1970, but that wasn’t this Cine-parc Boucherville. Thank goodness for Mike Rivest’s Montreal Cinema History page and his note on a Cinema Treasures page, because this is very confusing. The old one, which closed in 1985, was just west of the Boulevard de Montarville at Route 20’s exit 95. The new one is just east of the Boulevard de Montarville at Route 20’s exit 95.

The current Boucherville opened as the Ciné-Parc Odeon, owned by Odeon Theatres, in 1974 with the same two screens it has now. It changed its name to Boucherville in 2006. This drive-in is still huge, with a capacity of about 2000 cars, and it’s still surrounded by acres of farmland.

From everything I read, what I can make out of it, the Boucherville is doing great. Daniel Séguin, general manager of Cineplex, which owns the drive-in, told Radio Canada in 2015, “Le goût d’aller au ciné-parc est souvent lié à la première visite quand on est jeune. On y est allé avec ses parents, et plus tard, on veut le faire découvrir à ses propres enfants.” Google Translate says that means something like, “The taste of going to the movie theater is often linked to the first visit when you are young. We went there with his parents, and later we want to make him discover his own children. ”

The YouTube video of the day show a fun-looking festival hosted by the Duval Scion car dealership in early 2011. There are just enough glimpses of the drive-in to make it worthwhile to embed here.

The Cine-parc Boucherville showed its final movies of the season last Saturday. This is the first time I’ve run into three dark days in a row since late May. I guess summer really is over.

Miles Today / Total: 32 / 28663 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: dark / 160

Nearby Restaurant: For one evening, I wanted to just stick around close to my hotel, but I found a real winner close by, Le Tire-Bouchon. I didn’t tell them that I thought the name sounded a lot like Tirebiter, and the food was much better than steel-belted rubber. The appetizer, entree and dessert were all one package price, so the columns I picked were green salad, duck magret, and Cru du Clocher cheese with walnut bread. Yum!

Where I Virtually Stayed: The Comfort Inn in Boucherville is a lot like most Comfort Inns in the states, and that’s a good thing. My room had the full set of modern amenities, and the hot breakfast in the morning was another Comfort standard. Just another solid place to stop for the night.

Only in Boucherville: This city is home to the Brasserie New Deal Brewing Co., a microbrewery that’s also a benefit corporation. That’s one of the three reasons I was happy to visit. The other two are fresh beer (of course) and the coincidence that it sits on the site of the original Ciné-Parc Boucherville.

Next stop: Cine-Parc Mont St-Hilaire, Mont-Saint-Hilaire QC.