Historic Sites of Manitoba: Star Theatre (1525 Main Street, Winnipeg)

Formerly located on Main Street in Winnipeg, a one-storey brick theatre, measuring 23 feet by 100 feet, was designed and built between late 1913 and early 1914 by contractor George A. Gordon for theatre operator C. H. Morson at a cost of about $4,000. It opened officially on 10 January 1914.

The theatre closed later that year with the outbreak of the First World War, as Morson enlisted in the Canadian military. He reopened it in 1919 when he returned from overseas. It operated until around 1934 when it closed permanently. The building was demolished in 1936 to make way for the new Deluxe Theatre.

Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.92855, W97.12314 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Deluxe Theatre / Hyland Theatre / Beth Jacob Synagogue (1521-1525 Main Street, Winnipeg)

Sources:

City of Winnipeg Building Permit 3974/1913, City of Winnipeg Archives.

“New Star Theatre - Cor. Main and Lansdowne - Opened to a packed house on Jan. 10th, featuring the only six-piece,” Winnipeg Tribune, 24 January 1914, page 20.

“Picked up at picture houses,” Manitoba Free Press, 16 July 1919, page 8.

Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Henderson Directories Limited, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.

Winnipeg fire insurance map, #307 January 1957, City of Winnipeg Archives.

This page was prepared by Jordan Makichuk.

Page revised: 19 October 2025

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