No more sequels: Winnipeg video rental store set to close after 40 years
For people of a certain age, watching a movie at home was a multi-step process –you had to get into your car, and drive to a video rental place.
Those days are rapidly becoming just a memory. But not for people living in Transcona. For four decades, a local video store there called Video King has been going strong.
"It was Beta and VHS, and those were the days," said Video King owner Glen Fuhl. "And then we transitioned into DVD, and 2007 was Blu-ray, and then in 2016 we went to 4k."
But he won't be around to see the next revolution in physical media.
Fuhl, a councillor for the RM of Springfield is abdicating his throne as the Video King, and after 40 years in business, the store will soon be closing its doors.
"It is a bittersweet story," said Fuhl. "You know, it's celebrating our 40th anniversary as of March 1st, and then announcing that we're closing."
Video King survived until now, while other video stores like Blockbuster fell by the wayside over the years. But Fuhl says the pandemic, combined with the rise in streaming services, doomed his Transcona store.
The Transcona Biz says the impending closure is a loss to the neighbourhood.
"We have a lot of small businesses in this area that are unique to our community," said Executive Director Leila Dance. "It's a small town feel, and Glen has played a significant role in that. So he will be missed."
But before he goes, everything must go!
Fuhl is selling off movies, clothing and posters --122,000 items to be precise.
"I have a list of them. I know exactly what's on each pile," said Fuhl. "The only problem is, if a customer wants a title that's way down here (on the bottom of the pile), I gotta move all this to get to it."
So it may take a while to find new homes for all of them.
Of course, he will have some extra time once the store closes for the final time on April 6th.
Still, while this store may be closing, the Video King isn't completely getting out of the video rental business.
Fuhl runs a distribution network for hundreds of rural stores in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario – and said he plans to keep that going for as long as people keep renting.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Feds 'not interested' in investing in LNG facilities: energy minister
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says the federal government is 'not interested' in subsidizing future liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, including the electrification of projects currently in the works.
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
Global measles cases nearly doubled in one year, researchers say
The number of measles cases around the world nearly doubled from 2022 to 2023, researchers say, presenting a challenge to efforts to achieve and maintain elimination status in many countries.
Fair share: the right office solution can take finding the right partner
The rise of remote and hybrid work has made it harder to justify a full office, so more are leaning on co-working spaces that they share with many others for convenience and cost savings. The choice, however, comes at the expense of privacy and control.
What Trudeau's podcast appearances say about the Liberals' next ballot box question
Trudeau recently appeared on four podcasts as he travels the country talking up the Liberals' latest budget, which he's pitching as a plan to inject more economic fairness into society for those under 40 — a cohort that has kept Trudeau in power since 2015 but is increasingly turning to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
California Disney characters are unionizing decades after Florida peers. Hollywood plays a role
California performers are organizing to be represented by a union now, more than four decades after their Florida counterparts did so.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
What is a 'halal mortgage'? Does it make housing more accessible?
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.