Winnipeg music venues hopeful for rebound after pandemic closures
The COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to almost all live events, leaving Winnipeg’s music venues empty, but now they are finally starting to rebound.
Despite the pandemic, it has been a busy summer for John Scoles, the owner of Times Changed on Main Street.
While his main venue has been shut down due to the pandemic, he's been finding ways to support the music community through other projects.
He launched Blue Note Park earlier this year, an outdoor concert venue next door to Times Changed.
"We have actually managed to put $200,000 into the hands of musicians in this town through different projects like Blue Note Park, the beer can last year, an album we released and a video we did," said Scoles.
But with Winnipeg winters, Scoles is forced to close Blue Note Park, its last show coming Saturday.
Though, with an improved outlook on COVID-19 and an ease in restrictions, he plans to reopen his indoor venue on Oct. 22.
"It's what we've always done and what we love and everyone says 'oh my god, we have to be back in the club' and then when we open the door let's see how the feel," said Scoles.
It's a similar story at The Good Will Social Club. The venue is also making a return on Oct. 22 after being closed for almost 19 months.
"It's not easy but we've had a lot of support from the community and that's what helped keep The Good Will going. We are really grateful for that," said Jeremy Haywood-Smith, who does the booking for The Good Will.
One of the biggest challenges the venue faces now is ensuring everyone stays safe.
"It's going to be a fully immunized building, so everyone coming in performing and booking needs to be vaccinated just to be extra safe," said Haywood-Smith.
At The Park Theatre, owner Erick Casselman made the best of the pandemic closure.
“I took the opportunity to start gutting the place in January. Redo it so coming out of the pandemic bigger, stronger, have a larger capacity to be able to host bigger shows," Casselman said.
With the final touches being put in place, the theatre is slated to reopen on Oct. 8.
No matter the venue or staff member, they all share the same feelings toward holding events again.
"Oh super excited. I can't wait. I've been sitting on pins and needles for 18 months looking forward to having live music back in the room again," added Casselman.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
French woman's ex-husband found guilty of rapes, sentenced to 20 years in prison
A court in France on Thursday sentenced the ex-husband of Gisele Pelicot to 20 years of imprisonment for drugging and raping her and allowing other men to rape her while she was unconscious, in abuse that lasted nearly a decade.
Canada Post to start accepting more mail as it ramps up post-strike operations
Canada Post is set to start accepting commercial letters and parcels as it works to get back to normal operations following a month-long strike.
Mystery drone sightings continue in New Jersey and across the U.S. Here's what we know
A large number of mysterious drones have been reported flying over New Jersey and across the eastern U.S., sparking speculation and concern.
What's the best treatment for ADHD? Large new study offers clues
Stimulant medications and certain therapies are more effective in treating ADHD symptoms than placebos, a new study on more than 14,000 adults has found.
'We'll never be the 51st state,' Premier Ford says following Trump's latest jab
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says Canada will 'never be the 51st state,' rebuking U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s latest social media post.
B.C. man drops camera into ocean, accidentally captures 'breathtaking' whale video
Before it turned into an extraordinary day, Peter Mieras says it began being quite ordinary.
Elon Musk comes out swinging against government spending package in early test of his political might
Elon Musk derided a Republican-backed government spending bill that if not passed by Friday night would lead to a government shut down.
Human Rights Watch says Israel's restriction of water supply in Gaza amounts to acts of genocide
Human Rights Watch on Thursday accused Israel of causing the deaths of thousands of Palestinians by systematically restricting and targeting Gaza's water supply in a campaign that amounted to 'acts of genocide.'
Police suspect Utah father killed his wife and 3 kids, wounded son, then killed himself
Five people were found dead in a Utah home after a man apparently shot his wife and four children before killing himself, police said Wednesday. A 17-year-old boy survived but has a severe brain injury.