What happened to the Garry?
Landmark Cinemas decided to permanently close the Garry Theatre in downtown Selkirk – along with three other single-screen theatres in Manitoba – knowing how important the theatre was to so many that had grown up watching movies in the Manitoba Ave. mainstay, we decided to purchase it!
The Long and Short of it
We would love to see the theatre transform into a community space, so we’re asking citizens and members of the surrounding community to take part in shaping the Garry’s future through a grassroots, community-led process.
The survey is now closed – but you can view the results below
Further Information
The City purchased the Garry to ensure that the future of the theatre aligned with the community’s vision.
In 2014, the City of Selkirk completed its Community Strategic Plan, which includes five key strategic priorities. The Plan calls for the creation of a vibrant, safe, and healthy community where residents have access to the best possible recreational opportunities, a revitalized downtown and are engaged in shaping the city’s future. Two years later, in 2016, the City finalized its Downtown Selkirk Renewal Strategy. The strategy aims to create a vibrant, safe and attractive downtown where people can live, work, shop and play. As part of this, the strategy emphasized the importance of capitalizing on the City’s historical buildings and revitalizing Manitoba Avenue East which started in 2018.
Based on these plans, the City has made major investments in improving the public realm along Manitoba Avenue East. Between 2019 and 2020, the City reconstructed the street to make it more pedestrian and cyclist friendly. Changes included enhancing active transportation facilities and lighting, bringing the road up to modern standards for accessibility, adding street trees, benches and planters. Other improvements included developing two pocket parks with public seating, art, a public ping pong table, community healing garden, converting one-way traffic to two-way traffic, and changing angled parking to parallel parking. The reinvention of the Garry as a community-led space will build on this important work and help in the revitalisation of Selkirk’s e downtown.
As part of the development of the business plan, the City is exploring case studies of other community theatres across the country for inspiration.
These include small, community-run theatres in small cities and towns like the Country Fest Community Cinema in Dauphin, the Strand Theatre in Melita, and the Boissevain-Morton Community Theatre in Boissevain. The case studies also include community-run and private theatres in larger cities like the Gas Station and Park Theatres in Winnipeg, the Westdale Theatre in Hamilton, the Gladstone Theatre in Ottawa, the Theatre Centre in Toronto, the Varscona Theatre in Edmonton, and the Rio Theatre in Vancouver.
Many of these theatres host a range of events and performances. These include classic movies, live theatre and music, dance performances, and live-streamed events like sports games and opera shows. Some examples, like the Park Theatre in Winnipeg and Bus Stop Theatre in Halifax are ‘black box’ theatres with adjustable furniture. This furniture allows the theatres to be reconfigured to host various private events like meetings, workshops, classes, art exhibits, and even socials and weddings! Some theatres are also supported by licensed bars and coffee shops.
The City is looking for input from the citizens of Selkirk and surrounding communities about what the future of the Garry Theatre could look like.
People are encouraged to share their vision and ideas through a survey or by attending an open house event. The City will have an open house set up in the lobby of the Garry Theatre during Holiday Alley on Friday, November 25th, from 5:00 to 9:00 PM and on Saturday, November 26th, from 12:00 to 4:00 PM. The City has also launched an online survey for community members, which will be open until December 9th, 2022. A paper version will be available in the November 23rd edition of the Selkirk Record as well.
The City will reference the community feedback to develop a draft business plan. Community members will have the opportunity to review the draft plan in the new year. A Community Steering Committee will be formed in the new year to advise the development and implementation of the business plan.
Read the history of the Garry Theatre on the Selkirk Museum!
Stories on the Garry Theatre
