Selkirk preparing to revive iconic downtown theatre

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The City of Selkirk has announced it will bring an iconic local landmark back to life, with a plan they say will ensure its long-term success.

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“The Garry Theatre is part of Selkirk’s history and the fabric of our community,” city of Selkirk CAO Duane Nicol said in a media release.

“It was important for the city to purchase and preserve the Garry Theatre, not only because it holds a special place in the hearts of multiple generations of Selkirk residents, but also to ensure its reopening is handled responsibly in a way that ensures its future.”

The city now continues its work to see the theatre reopened as what they said will one day be an “independent, community-led, non-profit organization.”

“The next steps in the Garry’s journey will be the forming of a board of directors and hiring a theatre manager,” the city said. “By being led by people who care deeply about the theatre and its role in Selkirk, this non-profit will have the ability to respond to the needs of Selkirk residents and keep the theatre aligned with the community’s collective vision.”

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The city originally purchased the Garry Theatre, a well-known single-screen movie theatre on Manitoba Avenue in the Interlake city’s downtown core in 2021, after then-owner Landmark Cinemas shut the business down, citing a combination of movie distribution issues, limited screenings and the pandemic as the reason they could no longer keep the doors open.

The theatre, which sits in the city’s main business district, and is a well-known local landmark, first opened back in 1948, and it changed ownership on several occasions over the many decades it has run.

The city purchased the theatre for $350,000 because they said they did not want to see it boarded up and abandoned.

“The Garry Theatre has been a cornerstone of our community’s identity for decades,” Selkirk director of culture and recreation Brady Clark said.

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Work done since 2021 includes a comprehensive building assessment to determine the theatre’s condition and work needed for its revitalization, as well as the hiring of a consulting firm to undertake a feasibility assessment and business plan, to determine if reopening the Garry was a viable community investment, which the city says included extensive consultation with the public, community groups and stakeholders.

“What the city heard loud and clear was that the community wants the Garry to return to its roots as a movie theatre, while also supporting other cultural, social, and private events,” Nicol said.

But the study also made clear that without strong community support the theatre is destined to fail again, and that it would likely fail again if it got into the hands of another private owner.

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“The Garry Theatre was closed because it was no longer viable as a private business,” Nicol said. “It’s an old building, with a single screen, lacking the bells and whistles of the more modern theatres.

“It failed as a business, and so we know that if it’s going to be successful, it needs to operate differently.”

In the New Year, the city says the Garry will undergo a series of significant accessibility upgrades and renovations.

“The city’s goal is to work with the community to bring new energy and purpose to the Garry Theatre,” the city said. “Stay tuned for more updates.”

— Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

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