1. The Burton Cummings Theatre
2. Park Theatre
3. Good Will Social Club

The topic of music venues was actually a pretty important one for Winnipeg in 2014. New spots like The Good Will and The Handsome Daughter cut ribbons and opened doors. A spruced up Park Theatre hosted outstanding bands and comedians from near and far. The Royal Albert Arms did its regular Frankenstein routine, returning from (and to) the dead so frequently that none of us can keep track of it.

Perhaps it’s ironic, in light of all these developments, that Uniter readers’ favourite music venue is also one of the city’s oldest. The Burton Cummings Theatre for the Performing Arts has been a Winnipeg music staple for over a century. Since opening as The Walker Theatre in 1907, it’s also acted as an opera house, an opulent movie palace, and a gathering place for historic political rallies for women’s suffrage and workers’ rights.

It’s for all these reasons, though, that The Burt is more than just a venue for Winnipeggers. It’s a temple housing the ghosts of our city’s history. Its balconies, railings and ornately crafted interiors are frozen in time in the best way possible. It’s like the warmest, least creepy version of the ballroom from The Shining.

Every time I’ve spoken to a performer about their experience at The Burt, their tone has been one of reverence. There’s a genuine appreciation for The Burt and what it represents, with few places left in Canada that can accomplish what it does. A performance isn’t background noise to be glanced up at between sips of beer and Instagram posts. It’s an event. It’s a night on the town. It’s an experience. There’s nothing disposable about it.

History. Entertainment. Class. Most venues can only dream of embodying even one of these traits. The Burton Cummings Theatre personifies all three.

Part of the series: The Uniter 30

Published in Volume 69, Number 15 of The Uniter (January 7, 2015)