/ News
February 2, 2026
Roxy Lanes Demolished
In the final week of January 2026, demolition of Roxy Lanes at 385 Henderson Highway began.
Roxy Lanes originally opened as the Roxy Theatre on December 24th, 1929. Designed in the Mission-Revival style by Max Zen Blankstein, one of the first Jewish architects practicing in Canada, it cost $150,000 to construct and could seat around 1000 movie goers. The Roxy Theatre advertised itself as “Canada’s Finest Atmospheric Theatre”, featuring a blue ceiling with twinkling stars and projected clouds, with facades of Moorish style houses adorning the walls. It was designed to make patrons feel like they were outside, enjoying a beautiful evening in a quaint Spanish village.
The theatre was used for fundraising events during WWII, later returning to showing films. In the 1950s, new modern movie theatres, coupled with the arrival of television in Winnipeg in May 1954, marked the end of the Roxy Theatre. Instead of demolishing a still functional building, the Roxy Theatre was adaptively reused, converted into Roxy Lanes, opening with 20 bowling lanes in 1960. Roxy Lanes was sold in April 2022 and subsequent efforts to have the building protected by a municipal heritage designation failed. It is unclear if any of the historical elements or artifacts from the building have been saved.
Featured Image: The Roxy Theatre at 385 Henderson Highway on January 29, 2026 from Jim Smith (used with permission).
