Roxy’s days numbered after death of beloved partner

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This article was published 21/04/2022 (1001 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Roxy Lanes is a place “everyone knew,” but for longtime co-owner Melissa Gauthier, it is time to say goodbye.

The Elmwood neighbourhood bowling alley will close April 30, and Gauthier will hand over the keys in early May.

“It’s gonna be a life adjustment,” she said. “Not just for me, but for customers, Elmwood, and the people who have driven past the landmark for over a decade.”

In the lead-up to the closure — driven by the February death of Gauthier’s husband and business partner Rob — she will continue to man the phones by herself and do the best to suppress her grief.

“I’m not upset because people are calling to book, it’s just too much work. It would be different if Rob were here but it’s only me now, I’m the team,” said Gauthier.

“A lot of people now are realizing… ‘We should’ve gone to Roxy more’ or ‘we should’ve met the owners.’ And it’s only human — you just don’t think about it until the time comes.”

Taking one day off for the funeral, Gauthier went to work the next day, determined to preserve the dream she and her husband had created together. But it wasn’t the same without him, she said.

Rob’s presence in the building is bittersweet for Gauthier. She sees him in the walls they painted together, the Harley-Davidson motorcycle they hung over the bowling alley after some “garage talk,” and the nighttime regulars with whom she reminisces.

“He was special in his own way. He had this laugh that you could pinpoint in a room of 100 people and that was him,” said Gauthier. “It’s not the ending we wanted… Did I want to retire at 57? No. But now thinking about the closure, it’s kinda like you want to see it come but you don’t.”

Revolutionizing what a bowling alley could be in Winnipeg, the love-struck team injected themselves into the business for 13 years.

Considering its history — built as a movie theatre that opened in 1929 — Gauthier hopes the building will go to new owners who “put their blood, sweat, and tears in this place.”

The property now bears “development opportunity” signage — with advocates at the North East Winnipeg Historical Society seeking to preserve the Roxy in the face of multiple demolitions for housing units in the area.

There have been some inquiries, but there’s no consideration underway to give Roxy Lanes heritage status at this point, Coun. John Orlikow said this week.

Meanwhile, the closure is not only about business but personal well-being, Gauthier said.

“A curveball was thrown at me, and it was a big curveball… I really do miss him, not just at Roxy but at home,” she said. “It takes special couples to work together, and we were special.”

Rob and Melissa aren’t the only ones whose memories are preserved in the building.

One summer morning in the parking lot of Roxy Lanes, Alana Sullivan was tossing a ball to her sister while a painter worked on the outer wall. The man approached Sullivan’s sister, asking if she wanted to be added to the piece.

She was not interested, but “I’ll do it!” Sullivan recalled telling the painter.

After volunteering, the girl sat still for “what felt like hours and hours and hours,” until a mural blossomed on an Elmwood landmark that would mark Sullivan’s childhood.

In the following years, Sullivan spent multiple birthdays at the Roxy, even learning to ride her bike outside the bowling alley.

When she grew out of playing in parking lots, Roxy Lanes had already become a part of what Sullivan considers the “real Elmwood experience.”

“I grew up playing in Roxy Park at the wading pool and going to Rick’s Diner for breakfast — you can make a real day out of it, you know,” said Sullivan.

Now a mother of two living in northern Ontario, Sullivan took a road trip with her children to Winnipeg to relive the memories, including showing her kids the mural.

Even though the family hadn’t gone inside, Sullivan always thought she would be able to return to the alley.

She said her heart sank when she saw the Facebook post announcing the shuttering and sale of a building she considers sacred.

Sullivan turns 30 on April 30, the day of the closure.

“My birthday, the fact that’s the last day to bowl, it’s just so bittersweet,” said Sullivan, who is unable to make it back before the closure. “I was just mind-boggled like I still can’t believe it.”

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca