Carlyle's Prairie Dog Drive-In is one of only five Saskatchewan businesses nominated for the province's ABEX Award for Community Cornerstone, but they need your votes to win.
Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce CEO Steve McLellan says, "This award recognizes classic Saskatchewan businesses that might otherwise go unheralded, but are real cornerstones of their communities. We've combined this with new social media techniques for voting. We're excited about the process and we couldn't be happier with the five nominees we have in this category."
"Lots of businesses do great work for many, many years. The Prairie Dog is one of them. Just think of how many movies have been shown there, how many romances have started there, and how many of those romances have led to anniversaries of 25 or 30 years, perhaps being celebrated now. It's a very cool deal."
"In a time where there aren't many drive-in theatres anymore; well, all of this is a real testament to Ray and his crew," adds McClellan.
The winner is determined by online voting, which is set to commence the first week of September. The winner of the award will be announced at a gala in Regina on Nov. 1. Win or lose, Prairie Dog owner Ray Boutin says, "We're very grateful for the patronage that we get from local people and from the people who visit the resorts. We like to think that it's an attraction and we open it up to serve them. In July and August, we're open four nights a week and we could probably open every night; people have been so great."
When asked about the significance of being a finalist in the Community Cornerstone category of the ABEX Awards, Boutin says, "We like to do family pictures the best, things like 'Shrek', for example. This summer, there was a big void with that. Those are the pictures that we do best with. We get our customers-some who first came to the drive-in in the '80s- bringing their kids and grandkids. It's a great spot to spend some family time."
"People have become accustomed to it. Come May, they're looking to go to the drive-in."
The Prairie Dog is not only a family affair for its loyal customers. Boutin and his wife, Frances have owned the 34-year-old business for the past 18 years and their two daughters, Simone, 17, and Janelle, 15, have both worked alongside their parents at the theatre.
"Simone was just two weeks old and I remember her swinging in the projection room," says Boutin. "We had just bought the drive-in then. My poor wife!"
"Both of the girls have worked from the age of about 10. They were in charge of the windshield wash station," says Boutin. "We've always done a little fundraising and the money from windshield washes went to different causes over the years. We've supported Cystic Fibrosis, Terry Fox and closer to home, a young gal from the area for MS [multiple sclerosis] treatment. This year, we're donating to Kenosee Boys and Girls Camp and Carlyle Volunteer Fire Department."
Boutin says that the Prairie Dog has grown with its audience. "We've been so fortunate. In 2012, we went digital, which was a significant investment and a bit of a leap of faith. The advertising response from local businesses and merchants really helped us cross that bridge. The digital advertising and picture quality in general on the big screen is improved immensely. The level of lighting on the screen and the crispness of picture quality has increased tremendously with digital."
"We also don't have to wait for new releases anymore," he adds.
"Many theatres have gone down, but this one has not. Our location, our local folks and our conversion to digital have all helped."
Boutin says that he and his family have "many memories" from their 18 years in business. "One of our most unusual ones was when a professor of photography from Worcestershire, England visited. She was studying drive-ins and had heard of us. When she was taking a picture of the Prairie Dog, there was a round bale in front of our sign. All of a sudden, two guys who had crashed in the bale for the night, crawled out and started walking in two different directions. She didn't know what to make of that and neither did we. It was really funny."
Boutin is quietly confident about the possibility of winning the ABEX Award for Community Cornerstone. "Due to the fact it's based on votes, we've got a really good shot. We've got a great following, with over 1,600 followers on our Facebook page. Our customers are great."
"We're humbled and honoured by the nomination for hanging in there."
Boutin says, "Our business has been good to us. We've enjoyed it. It's a really fantastic and magical thing, watching a movie under the open sky. We get lots of accolades; people saying, 'Wow, we didn't know these things existed anymore.'"
Online voting for the ABEX Awards begins the first week of September. Check www.saskchamber.com to vote. Check out Prairie Dog Drive-In Theatre on Facebook.
