by Marissa Crook
Neepawa is a beautiful town rich in history with many opportunities for people to connect with the past. Historic sites, monuments and buildings are engaging spaces to learn about the community’s history and how it still shapes the present. Three important buildings are the Roxy Theatre, the Beautiful Plains County Court Building, and the Stoney Creek School Building. Each has its own story to tell.
The Roxy Theatre is located at 291 Hamilton Street in Neepawa. It was built in 1906 to replace an opera house destroyed by fire. This building hosted live dramas, concerts, lectures and political rallies. Approximately thirty years later, it was remodelled to be what is now the town’s movie theatre.
The Beautiful Plains County Court Building was built in 1884. It is located at 282 Hamilton Street in Neepawa. Its purpose today is to accommodate legal and municipal functions for the town of Neepawa. There are two monuments located in front of the building with hundreds of engraved names that honour those who fought for our country.
The Stoney Creek School was first established in 1881. This building was moved to Neepawa in 1964, where it remains on a grassy clearing at Neepawa’s Lions Riverbend Park. It is currently used by the Lions Club as their clubhouse for meetings. The town of Neepawa is also making use of this building as a place for summer day camp programs to use. Beyond its exterior, this schoolhouse does a great job representing what school was like in the past. It is home to many unique artifacts, such as old teacher desks, the strap, blackboards, and an old bell suspended at the school’s peak.