Entrepreneurs looking for money to restore historic theatres working across the Prairies
Michael Redhead Champagne is looking to breathe new life into the Palace Theatre in north Winnipeg. Built in 1912, it's been a vaudeville house, a movie theatre, a flea market and even a furniture warehouse. It has stood empty since the late 1990s.
Redhead Champagne said it was around five years ago that residents began expressing a desire for an arts and culture hub tailored to the North End.
Many Indigenous-led gathering places in Winnipeg have closed in recent years, he said, so he wants to provide space for First Nations artists and others to create.
"We have a North End spirit here that is unique and specific to the experiences that we have had because of social, cultural, economic, racial, geographic challenges," he said.
"Venues like the future Palace Theatre are going to provide space and opportunity for those artists to share their stories in their way."
Redhead Champagne said his group is starting to solicit private donations for the project. It will also start hosting community events once the building's ownership is transferred from the University of Manitoba to a community-based entity.
But once the theatre opens, it will need to be ready for unexpected repairs — a struggle Jocelyn Dougherty knows well.