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The Brightside Hotel

Bowling

The Brightside Hotel was a place to talk about the sports of the day, like the results of its bar league baseball team, to listen to games on the radio or watch a favourite team after the advent of television. It was a place to reminisce about the exploits of many local sporting heroes who had made it to the big leagues. 

In 1959, after the demolition of the houses North of Sheffield, and with the fate of the neighbourhood in question, a gang of friends created a new sports tradition-a bowling league-that carried Brightside’s name well on into the future. It competed in the City’s 10-Pin League at the Skyway Lanes just East of Parkdale on Melvin Avenue until they closed in 2019.

Five Brightside bowling league players.
The early days of Brightside bowling; proud players wear neat bowling shirts with names embroidered above the front pocket. (Courtesy of Brightside Memories FaceBook page)
Bowling league banquet and dance ticket 1960.
With tickets printed by the Brightside Press, events like its 1960 Banquet and Dance provided Brightsider bowlers with fun times away from the lanes. (Courtesy of John Brodnicki)
Brightside Hotel exterior photo.
Concern over the demise of the neighbourhood helped create a new Brightside sporting tradition. (Courtesy of AO)
Skyway Lanes Ten Pin Bowling League night. Man sitting at score machine.
John Fioravanti , a lifetime member of the Brightside Bowling League, served as its President, Secretary, and Treasurer at different times. He has also documented the League’s history. (Photo by and Courtesy of Simon Orpana) Link to John Fioravanti on the history of the Brightside Bowling League [“Brightside Ten Pin Bowling League History by John Fioravanti 2021” in Resources]
Brightside Reunion book ad the for Skyway Lanes Bowling Centre.
The Skyway Lanes placed their advertisement in the Brightside Reunion book in thanks for its many years of service to the Brightside League. (Source: <em>Brightside Reunion</em>, pg. 31)
Man wearing Skyway Lanes bowling jacket.
Vince Palango in his bowling jacket celebrating 50 years of Brightside Bowling at the Skyway Lanes. (Photo by and Courtesy of Simon Orpana)
Skyway Lanes Bowling Alley building on Melvin Avenue.
The Skyway Lanes closed in April 2019. (Photo by Barry Gray, <em>The Hamilton Spectator</em>)
Skyway Lanes Bowling Alley with people at play inside.
Vince Palango was a lifetime member and stalwart bowler of the Brightside Bowling League. (Photo by and Courtesy of Simon Orpana)

Listen: Remembering Through Bowling. Click the play circle below.

Show/Hide Transcript

Speaker 1:    

I tell you I was going to bring a sheet from the Brightside Bowling League, 60 and 61, see me age you know.  

Speaker 2:    

1960 and 61. I was present then.   

Speaker 3:    

What year did the Brightside Bowling League start? 

Speaker 1:    

59, a year before that.  

Speaker 2:    

Yeah.  

Speaker 3:    

  1. 59.

Speaker 1:    

Today, the Brightside Bowling League, I understand, is the second oldest league in Canada. It is. There’s only one league older, and that’s the City Tenpin League.  

Speaker 2:    

And there’s a plaque we got. And there’s a plaque we got.  

Speaker 4:    

‘Is my dad’s name on there Johnny, cause my father bowled there?’  

Speaker 1:    

He’s there. Yeah.  

Speaker 2:    

He was a good bowler. He was a good bowler.  

Speaker 4:    

Because he was a good bocce player.  

Speaker 3:    

Any guy who was Italian, they made good bowlers because they were …  

Speaker 1:    

We got a plaque from the city tenpin Association…  

Speaker 5:    

That’s what I’m there to make for the picture on the frame …  

Speaker 1:    

That’s where these Jackets…  

Speaker 4:    

Could I take a picture?...  

Speaker 1:    

Wow, that’s beautiful. 

We had these jackets made. 

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