Elk Drive-In
313 7th Street,
Castlegar,
BC
V1N 1W7
313 7th Street,
Castlegar,
BC
V1N 1W7
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I believe that this opened earlier than 1955 as well.
Also this closed in the 1960’s not the 1980’s.
Most of the photos on this listing are from the Sunset which doesn’t appear to have its own listing here. The Sunset became the RV Park where the screen remained until it fell down in 2018, the Elk is now a bike park as mentioned above.
Four photos added and below history credit Keith Shelefontiuk.
“The Elk Drive in was the Shelefontiuk brothers drive in theater and the first drive in, in Castlegar. I have included a brochure from Castlegar. A good read if you are interested in the history of the theater. It is commonly believed that the Sunset Drive In was the first, it was not. That was a beautiful drive in on the Kootenay river, near the Brilliant bridge in Castlegar. The screen just came down recently during a windstorm and is now gone. The Elk was built near the Columbia River where Millennium Park is located today. The mountain bicycle skills park inside of Millennium Park was where the theater once stood. If visiting the bike park, the concrete pillars which once held up the screen can be viewed. By walking under the bicycle ramp in the advanced area of the skills park.”
Opened in 1955 and closed in 1985.
I think there is some confusion between the Sunset and Elk Drive-Ins here.
Judging from the picture above, it looks like the Elk Drive-In site is now an RV park, though the screen is still intact.
Based off my visit, it doesn’t look demolished to me. They have done a pretty good job on the landscaping though. A great location right on the river.
The old Elk drive in held 300 cars and was owned in 1956 by G.Simmons.
Hosmer is over 200 miles from Castlegar. I would guess that it is a different Elk Drive-In that was located there.
This one appears to have been on the corner of 5th Ave and 7th St in Castlegar and closed around 1960 according to View link
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