Roxy Lanes could face wrecking ball after being sold, heritage advocates fear

Roxy Lanes, the bowling alley that began life as a movie theatre, is facing an uncertain future, and heritage advocates fear the newly sold building is facing its final curtain.

"In my opinion and others it is a historical building. It's going to be 93 years old and it's been the centre of the community," said Jim Smith, president of the Northeast Winnipeg Historical Society.

When East Kildonan was its own city, the Roxy, just down the block from city hall, was a gathering place, the stage often used for fundraising events during the Second World War, he says.

"That why it's so important to try and get some kind of historical designation so that it can be preserved for the future."

As built, Roxy was a 1,200-seat movie theatre that opened Dec. 24, 1929. It featured a blue ceiling with lights set to emulate stars, and projected white clouds, according to the Winnipeg Architecture Foundation.

The walls were decorated in the style of a Spanish village with sloping tile roofs and curtained windows, while the lobby contained a stone fireplace. Its size and ornateness were unique among suburban theatres from that era, the architecture foundation says.

It closed in May 1960 and debuted as a 20-lane bowling alley on Dec. 24, 1960 — exactly 31 years after its doors were opened as a theatre.

Those doors, in fact, still exist in the basement of the building at the corner of Henderson Highway and Larsen Avenue, along with other memorabilia from the theatre days, including the projector, cash register, a seat and some of the original village decorations.

Melissa Gauthier and her husband, Robert, bought the alley in 2009, a year after the previous longtime owner died.

However, in February this year, Robert passed away and Gauthier says she couldn't handle the business alone — and couldn't take the ghost of Robert everywhere she looked.

"It's too hard for me," she said. "It was our baby and when you lose someone that meant the world it changes everything. It changes the way you feel. When I go there sometimes it brings me to tears."

The couple bought the business with the goal of retiring together, and were aiming to do that closer to the end of this decade.

"I just don't have the same feelings for Roxy as I did if [Robert] was here. Am I going to miss her? Absolutely. I'm going to miss her very much," Gauthier said. "We were really blessed to get Roxy and we had the opportunity to run her for 13 years. But the decision to sell it is the best thing for me carrying on with my next chapter in life." 

People who live in the area have posted messages on Facebook sites devoted to local history, expressing concern about the building after signs went up earlier this year saying the property was for sale and available for redevelopment.