Winnipeg club shutting its doors after 10 years

The Good Will Social Club will be closing in February after a decade in business. (Image source: Glenn Pismenny/CTV News Winnipeg)

A popular Winnipeg club is closing its doors next year after a decade in business.

The Good Will Social Club announced on Wednesday that it would be closing its current Portage Avenue location on Feb. 1, 2024.

“We just decided that now's a good time to close down for now and kind of reassess some things and maybe see what the future brings,” Anthony Kowalczyk, one of the owners of the Good Will, said Wednesday. “But I think we just need some time to re-evaluate.”

The venue, a popular spot for live music in the city, has been facing challenges since the COVID-19 pandemic. Kowalczyk said this includes rising costs for products such as beer, a difficult economy, and people not going out as much.

“I think the big public thing of a 200-person room isn't necessarily appealing to a lot of people post-pandemic,” he said.

Kowalczyk said the community that sprung up around the Good Will is something he’s proud of, noting they stepped up to support them during the pandemic when the venue was shut down.

“I think Winnipeg has a really good cultural scene, and I think, does a really good job of supporting, you know, venues like us,” he said. “It's just, it's hard to kind of put it into context of how much like Winnipeg and the community as a whole meant to us.”

Since the closure was announced, Kowalczyk said they have been receiving calls and messages with people sharing their memories of the Good Will.

The venue still has shows booked until February.

“We're going to try to do the best send-off we can for the coming months,” Kowalczyk said. “It's not a goodbye; it's a see you later.

“We're trying to look to sell the space. I don't know what exactly is going to go in there. I don't know whether someone wants to step up and take over the Good Will. We're open to all possibilities right now.”