March 14, 2025

Curtains Up at the Palace Theatre

This week, a new initiative to restore the historic Palace Theatre at 501 Selkirk Avenue was announced. The building will become a hub for arts and culture in the North End.

Winnipeg Architect Max Zev Blankstein designed the 1912 Vaudeville theatre, and in the late 1920’s it became a part of Jack Miles’ Allied Amusements Ltd. movie theatre chains. In 1964, the interior was gutted, and the theatre spent the next handful of decades under different ownership, serving various purposes. In the late 1990s, a theatre group purchased the building in hopes of returning it to its intended use, but this dream never came to be. It was then purchased by the University of Manitoba in 2000.

Almost two decades later, the U of M announced intentions of demolishing the Palace Theatre. Thankfully, the newly formed North End History (formerly North End Historical Society) convinced them to preserve the building and invest in its future. Mould and asbestos were removed, and now, three years after narrowly missing the wrecking ball, the Palace Theatre is ready for its next big break.

North End History spearheaded the Palace Theatre Community Committee to create a space for North End artists, specifically youth and Indigenous creatives, to share their work with the community. The Committee will work alongside the University of Manitoba and the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg, beginning with community consultations and fundraising.

We are excited to see this beautiful heritage building become a vibrant part of the community once again! Historic buildings in the North End are often overlooked, and vacant buildings are at a much higher risk of fire and demolition. The Palace Theatre project will not only preserve the historic structure but also bring much-needed artistic community space to the area, fostering the creative spirit of the North End.

Source:

“‘A place where we celebrate our stories, culture, resilience’” Mike Deal, Winnipeg Free Press, 13 March 2025.