Cineplex opens first Junxion entertainment, gaming and dining complex in Winnipeg

A Cineplex theatre is seen Friday May 22, 2015 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Cineplex Inc. has opened the first of its new theatre, dining and entertainment complexes called Junxion.

The Toronto-based theatre operator's first location is at Kildonan Place, a Winnipeg mall that was home to a Famous Players cinema.

The Junxion features six auditoriums with reclining seats, an arcade area with more than 50 games, a party room, live entertainment space and dining options.

It comes three years after Cineplex announced the Junxion concept, promising the first location would open at the Erin Mills Town Centre mall in Mississauga, Ont. in 2020.

The mall is still set to house a Junxion, but Cineplex now says it won't open until the summer of 2023 with further sites to follow.

The Junxion's opening comes as Cineplex has been working to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic while fending off competition from on-demand streaming services refusing to give all their films traditional theatre runs.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2022.