This dark red brick and Tyndall stone trimmed, Mission Revival-style building on Henderson Highway in East Kildonan (now part of Winnipeg), measuring 65 feet by 120 feet, was designed by local architect Max Zev Blankstein and built in 1929 by day labour at a cost of about $150,000 for owner Jacob “Jack” Miles. It was operated by Allied Amusements Limited. The 1,200-seat Roxy Theatre opened to the public on 24 December 1929.
Subcontractors on the construction project included James Murray Reid (excavation), International Projector Corporation (simplex projector equipment), and Alsip Brick, Tile & Lumber Company Limited (bricks). Work was overseen by the city engineering department's John Worthy Battershill to ensure that fireproofing requirements were met.
The theatre featured a Spanish-style draw curtain while the ceiling consisted of a blue-sky image with lights in the ceiling creating an image of twinkling stars and slowly drifting stars. The inside walls were decorated in the style of Spanish Moorish houses with sloping tile roofs and windows which were curtained and lighted. The lobby contained a stone fireplace built from Tyndall stone while the outside of the theatre featured a 10-foot neon sign.
The theatre closed in May 1960 and reopened as a 20-lane bowling alley on 3 December 1960, nearly 31 years to the day after its original opening. The bowling alley closed in 2022 and, at the time of a 2023 site visit, the building was vacant. As of late 2025 and early 2026, the building was being deconstructed. It was finally taken down on 26 January 2026.
Roxy Theatre (circa 1930)
Source: Russ Gourluck, Silver Screens on the Prairie, Winnipeg: Great Plains Publications.
The former Roxy Theatre (December 2017)
Source: George Penner
The former Roxy Theatre (December 2018)
Source: George Penner
The former Roxy Theatre (January 2023)
Source: Jordan Makichuk
Aerial view of the former Roxy Theatre (December 2025)
Source: George Penner
The former Roxy Theatre under demolition (January 2026)
Source: Kerrin Asmundson
The former Roxy Theatre under demolition (January 2026)
Source: Jordan MakichukSite Location (lat/long): N49.91804, W97.11249
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: Max Zev Blankstein (1874-1931)
Memorable Manitobans: Jacob “Jack” Miles (1887-1951)
Manitoba Business: Allied Amusements Limited / Western Theatres Limited
Memorable Manitobans: James Murray Reid (1882-1933)
MHS Centennial Business: Alsip Brick, Tile & Lumber Company Limited / Alsip's Building Products and Services
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Roxy Theatre (291 Hamilton Street, Neepawa)
“New Winnipeg construction,” Manitoba Free Press, 1 June 1929, page 46.
“New theatre will open on Christmas Eve,” Winnipeg Tribune, 21 December 1929, page 19.
“Roxy,” Manitoba Free Press, 25 December 1929, page 4.
“East Kildonan Building; New Roxy Theatre,” Manitoba Free Press, 1 February 1930, page 30.
“Grand opening tomorrow [Roxy Lanes],” Winnipeg Tribune, 2 December 1960, page 25.
Max Blankstein: Architect by Murray Peterson, Winnipeg Architecture Foundation, 2022.
385 Henderson Highway, Winnipeg Architecture Foundation.
385 Henderson Highway - Roxy Lanes by Christian Cassidy, Winnipeg Places, 16 April 2022.
“Roxy Lanes could face wrecking ball after being sold, heritage advocates fear,” CBC News, 16 April 2022.
We thank Glen Toews and Kerrin Asmundson for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough, Jordan Makichuk, and George Penner.
Page revised: 3 February 2026
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