Seller of historic Saskatoon theatre seeks buyer with 'its best interests at heart'

Saskatoon's Roxy Theatre was first opened in 1930. (Dan Shingoose/CTV News)

A historic movie theatre is up for sale in Saskatoon, with its owner hoping to find a buyer to carry on a legacy that dates back to the Great Depression.

The Roxy Theatre, located in the city's Riversdale neighbourhood, is listed for $995,000 — a price point intended to attract a buyer interested in the theatre itself rather than a parcel of retail property.

"An ordinary building, just a store, would sell for a third more than what it's on the market for," Magic Lantern Theatre's director Tom Hutchison told CTV News.

"It's marketed at an affordable price so that a group or an individual who has its best interests at heart can acquire it," Hutchison said when reached by phone in Edmonton.

Hutchison said "it was always the intention" to sell the theatre when it was purchased in the early 2000s.

"I feel that the Roxy is an important part of Saskatoon's cultural heritage and I wanted to make sure that it was not only saved at the time we bought it but also strengthened," Hutchison said.

While not originally from the city, Hutchison was familiar with the theatre — which opened its doors in 1930.

He was moved to save it when he learned of another Saskatchewan theatre's demise.

"I was in Regina actually, in a motel room watching the TV when the newscaster switched to a view of the legislature where there was a politician raising his fist and saying 'We will not let them tear down our Capitol Theater," Hutchison said.

He said the next image shown in the story was that of a wrecking ball slamming into the side of the theatre.

"So sometimes if you want to save a historic building, you just do it. Because if you wait for politicians, that's what happens."

Hutchison said the goal was to "stabilize" the building over the years, completing repairs, maintenance and upgrades — while still keeping the silver screens flickering and the smell of popcorn in the air.

"The Roxy is the best remaining example of atmospheric architecture in Canada. It is not the biggest, it is not the best, but it's the best one that's still standing," Hutchison said.

"It really says a lot about the history of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. In the 1930s, the sort of hope and affluence that was there even though the depression was on the horizon."

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Hutchison said the Roxy had a nearly identical "twin" theatre in Yorkton that was built for vaudeville stage entertainment instead of movies.

"Because of the speed of technological change at the time … when they built the Roxy Saskatoon, it was built entirely for sound motion pictures."

Even though the theatre's eventual sale was a "foregone conclusion," Hutchison said it was hastened by the loss of its "sister" theatre Rainbow Cinema.

Rainbow closed in 2020 after the company that owns Centre Mall opted not to renew its lease after 25 years.

Hutchison said the profit pulled in by Rainbow's more mainstream fare helped keep the projectors whirring at the Roxy — which leans towards independent and arthouse films.

"The Roxy is a wonderful historic building and many enjoyable and important things take place … it's not something that makes money or even pays its own way," Hutchison said.

"In a lot of ways (the Roxy) grounds Riversdale and so its importance to the Riversdale neighbourhood is very high."