SHAUNAVON — Ty and Lizzy Hunter are the new owners of the Plaza Theatre, taking over a five-generation legacy from Herb and Leslie Goldstein.
Leslie is the granddaughter of the original owners, Charley and Lily Durham. Initially built as a dance hall in 1927, its first ‘talkie’ movie played in 1930. The building has had a front row seat for the comings and goings on Centre Street for nearly a century, and now the time has come to turn its own page in the history book. Leslie says, "We're just thrilled. As a family, we are happy that it will continue to be used as a theatre. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Ty and Lizzy could turn this into another five-generation business? It's an exciting, fun business and I think they are the perfect people to take it over and run with it."
Herb and Leslie Goldstein recently sold their five-generation business, The Plaza Theatre in Shaunavon, to Ty and Lizzy Hunter. | Photo courtesy Ty Hunter
The Hunters are familiar faces to the building, having occupied the south-side storefront space since 2020, when their coffee shop, Meeting Grounds Coffee House, relocated there. Ty says, “We want this to be a space the community can thrive in, with the hope that everyone feels welcome here. Lizzy and I love hospitality, whether in business or community endeavours and we want this space to exemplify those values.”
A Christmas production spearheaded by Ty, and held at the Plaza in 2015 played a premier role in the story that is unfolding for Ty and Lizzy. The event was one of the first major introductions Lizzy had to the community, and the Goldsteins were some of the first people who made her feel welcome in Shaunavon. The couple was just dating at the time, and the production is a fond memory for both the Hunters and the Goldsteins. It is safe to say that many community members will fondly recall the production and would welcome future live performances on that stage.
Hunter confirms that they will continue with the cinema side of operations, but also plan to embark on more live performance elements, including using the space for teaching music lessons, a venture he started in 2024. “I’m really excited about the live performance potential; I have many friends in the music industry, and look forward to bringing some very entertaining live acts to the venue.”
Leslie Goldstein says, "They've got energy and good ideas and, like us, they love people and want to please people. When we did renovations in 2012, our thought was to make it usable for more than movies, so this is a perfect fit. We're excited to share in their excitement-that just makes us happy."
Ty says, “This gives us the opportunity to harness ideas and then share them with the Southwest. We love this community, and are hopeful that people will experience entertainment in ways that they have or have not seen before.” A flourishing music career as lead singer with The Hunter Brothers takes Ty out of the community often for writing and performing, but it was important to him to establish a sustainable business that long term, can help provide for his family and allow them to stay in Shaunavon.
One of the first tasks in preparation for opening was to give the marquee a new paint job. Hunter says that the building is in beautiful condition. “There will be some added touches and personal flair put into certain areas, but overall, the building was turnkey. There were renovations and upgrades to the sound equipment and projector in 2012, which is a huge plus. Certain parts of the building that have been restored or that help to tell the history of the building will not be altered.”
Ty states, “It is a huge honour to take this on after so much love and care have been poured into it by the Goldsteins. The fact they would allow us to steward this venue is not something we take lightly. You can just feel the love in this space.”
A grand opening is sure to be in the works in the coming months, but they do want to get movies running sooner than later. Ty says, “We will 1000% still have popcorn.” Herb is passing down the recipe, and Ty hopes they can carry forward the popcorn legacy while adding some other fun things into the mix. Meeting Grounds and Plaza Theatre will also merge to create a social house after movies and performances down the road. Ty describes the pillars that he and Lizzy are building upon as they support each other in their passions and support their community: “It’s a place for people to escape; a place to be entertained; a place to gather, and ultimately a place for community to thrive.”
