Historic Winnipeg theatre to get second act

CTV’s Michelle Gerwing has more on how a group of Winnipeggers is making sure the shoes on once again at the Palace Theatre.

It’s been decades since anyone used the building at 501 Selkirk Avenue in Winnipeg’s North End, but it could soon be a hive of activity once more.

The former Palace Theatre now has a group of Winnipeggers working to revive the space into an arts and culture hub for the community.

“Our dream is that if the West End Cultural Centre and the Park Theatre have a North End baby, that will be the Palace Theatre,” said Michael Redhead Champagne, a member of the newly formed Palace Theatre Community Committee.

“We want it to be a multi-faceted venue that provides opportunities for North End young people and artists, and especially Indigenous artists, to be able to bring people together, share their talent skills and tell our stories.”

The building itself has quite a story to tell.

According to the Manitoba Historical Society (MHS), it was built in 1912 by a renowned Winnipeg architect named Max Zev Blankstein. It was originally a venue for vaudeville performances. It was also a movie theatre, a department store, an auction house, a furniture warehouse. and a bargain store.

In the ‘90s it was sold to a community theatre group but according to the MHS, the building has been vacant since at least 2002.

Today it’s owned by the University of Manitoba, which has its Inner City Social Work program next door.

Champagne said the U of M was planning to demolish the building in 2019.

“That was very alarming to us in the neighbourhood, because we have for many years dreamt that this classic theatre here could revive itself and become an actual venue for arts and culture in the neighbourhood,” he said. “So along with many community organizations and interested residents, we were able to halt that demolition, and since then, we have been working diligently and quietly to try to see what type of solutions we can come up with for this theatre.”

Since them, Champagne said the university has been a great help, doing all the remediation work on the building to remove asbestos and mold, and addressed all bylaw infractions.

Champagne said the revived theatre is likely years away from opening, but the committee is looking into ways the building could be used in the state it’s in today to drum up excitement about its revival.

“Even though it’s just a brick box right now, we can go inside of a brick box and hold a lot of events in there, too,” he said.

Champagne said the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg is part of the committee, and it is working on a memorandum of understanding which would allow for fundraising to start.

“The North End has been itching and craving for many years to be able to get together for positive reasons, to celebrate our stories and to share with one another,” he said.

The U of M told CTV News Winnipeg in a statement that it is working to transfer ownership of the building to the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg.

“We look forward to seeing how this building can be re-imagined for the benefit of the community,” the statement said.

Champagne said a part of the vision is to replace the marquee that was taken down earlier this year with something colourful and bright.

He added another aspect of the committee’s work is arson prevention.

“We think that if we bring life and love into the Palace Theatre, North Enders will do their job and protect it and keep it safe.”

The City of Winnipeg said the building is not designated as a listed historical resource.