Historic Sites of Manitoba: Roxy Theatre (291 Hamilton Street, Neepawa)

The Roxy Theatre on Hamilton Street in Neepawa, one of the oldest operating theatrical venues in Manitoba, was built in 1906 to replace an opera house destroyed by fire. It was used originally for live performances such as vaudeville, dramas, concerts, lectures and political rallies, one of its operators being Bertram Brooker (1912-1913) and his brother Cecil Brooker. In 1936 the building was renovated into the Art Deco style by proprietor Leon Asper with architectural expertise from the firm of Green, Blankstein and Russell.

The theatre has been operated by community volunteers since 1988 and has been community-owned since 1989. In 2006, the building became a municipally-designated historic site.

Roxy Theatre (August 2012) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Roxy Theatre (February 2020) Source: George Penner Entrance to the Roxy Theatre (May 2023) Source: Glen Toews Roxy Theatre commemorative plaque (May 2023) Source: Glen Toews Site Coordinates (lat/long): N50.22864, W99.46496 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: Bertram Brooker (1888-1955)

Memorable Manitobans: Leon Asper (c1899-1961)

Manitoba Business: Green Blankstein Russell and Associates

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Municipally Designated Historic Sites

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Roxy Theatre (385 Henderson Highway, Winnipeg)

Sources:

Roxy Theatre, 291 Hamilton Street, Neepawa, Manitoba Historic Resources Branch.

We thank George Penner and Glen Toews for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and S. Goldsborough.

Page revised: 23 May 2023

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