The Weyburn Credit Union made a big announcement during their street party Friday night. During the Karissa Hoffart performance, it was unveiled that the new theatre in Weyburn, which is expected to be built in the coming months, will have a name.  

“We are super excited to be able to announce that we’ve secured the future and the naming rights of the upcoming theatre in Weyburn, said Tana Torkelson, the Vice President of Marketing with the WCU. The new theatre, which will be on the site of the old Soo Theatre, will be called the Credit Union Spark Cinema.  

The announcement comes as the WCU made a commitment of $500,000 for a 15-year contract for the naming rights of the facility.  

“While we weren’t originally interested in naming rights due to other contracts, our Board unanimously agreed that the new theatre would have a significant and positive impact for our members, community and local economy,” added Torkelson. “So, if the way to ensure the actualization of the new theatre was to purchase the naming rights, our Board felt compelled to do so for the good of our community. We are confident the new theatre will not only serve as a community gathering space but also as an important economic driver for the area. We applaud WTCSC on their passion and drive, and we are beyond thrilled and honoured to be their partner and have our brand on the new facility.” 

“We are so thankful to Weyburn Credit Union for taking this on for us,” remarked Weyburn Theatre Community Service Cooperative Board Member Laila Bader. “This announcement moves us one step closer to breaking ground and we are hopeful it will encourage others to take a look at our remaining sponsorship opportunities. Our community is so fortunate to have a partner like the Credit Union who invests time, resources, and money in ensuring Weyburn remains a great place to live, work and play – and soon to watch movies in comfort and style.” 

Sean Purdue, Treasurer of the board of the WTCSC, said the announcement was super exciting.

"We're just thrilled that they stepped up, and that we're going to be partnering with them. So we're at just over $1,000,000 of total fundraising now and kind of our target all the way along has been about $1.6 million. So we're a lot closer today than what we were at yesterday," he said. "Thanks again to Weyburn Credit Union, their staff and board for believing in us, believing in our project and. More to come."

The construction of the new theatre is expected to start in the spring of 2024. The new theatre will have two screens, with state-of-the-art technology, concessions and a full-time staff.  

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