Link to:
Photos & Coordinates | Sources
At the turn of the 20th century, “Lyric” was a popular name for vaudeville, burlesque, theatrical, and silent movie houses across North America. In 1924, Leon Asper, a classical violinist and symphony conductor, emigrated from Russia to Manitoba, after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. Here, he was reunited with his childhood sweetheart, pianist Cecilia Zwet, whose family had earlier escaped from Russia.
They married and performed across western Canada, first with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and later in pit orchestras for silent movies. In 1927, following the introduction of “talking pictures” and the death of the silent movie pit orchestra, the Aspers bought the Lyric Opera House in Minnedosa where he and his bride settled and produced three children. They later formed the Minnedosa Little Symphony Orchestra, consisting entirely of volunteers, that performed free public concerts at the Lyric Theatre.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Leon Asper, rejected as an army volunteer enlistee because he had a wife and children, was co-opted to be the conductor of the Canadian Legion Symphony Orchestra, which toured military camps to entertain troops. Cecilia Asper was the orchestra’s pianist. He later acquired and operated several theatres around Manitoba for which he was inducted into the Motion Picture Pioneer Association.
In 1941, the original Lyric Theatre was destroyed by fire. Although the building was uninsured, Leon Asper rebuilt it with the latest in Art Deco architecture and a state of the art sound and projection system. It once again became the centre of culture, artistic, and entertainment life of Minnedosa. Later, the building was torn down.
On 13 June 1999, Izzy Asper, Babs Asper, and their three children presented Manitoba with a recreated Lyric Theatre at this site near the Assiniboine Park Pavilion to commemorate the original Lyric Theatre in Minnedosa.
Lyric Theatre (October 2026)
Source: Glen Toews
Lyric Theatre commemorative plaque (October 2026)
Source: Glen ToewsSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.87250, W97.22944
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: Leon Asper (c1899-1961)
Memorable Manitobans: Cecilia Zwet Asper (1903-2002)
Memorable Manitobans: Israel Harold “Izzy” Asper (1932-2003)
Memorable Manitobans: Ruth Miriam Bernstein “Babs” Asper (1933-2011)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Assiniboine Park Pavilion (55 Pavilion Crescent, Winnipeg)
This page was prepared by Glen Toews and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 18 October 2026
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