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.](https://hamiltoncivicmuseums.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/brightside_bowlers.jpg)
![Bowling league banquet and dance ticket 1960.](https://hamiltoncivicmuseums.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Bowling_League_Invitation.jpg)
![Brightside Hotel exterior photo.](https://hamiltoncivicmuseums.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Brightside_sepia.jpg)
![Skyway Lanes Ten Pin Bowling League night. Man sitting at score machine.](https://hamiltoncivicmuseums.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Johnny_At_The_Scores.jpg)
![Brightside Reunion book ad the for Skyway Lanes Bowling Centre.](https://hamiltoncivicmuseums.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/3.-Skyway-lanes-from-1983-scaled.jpg)
![Man wearing Skyway Lanes bowling jacket.](https://hamiltoncivicmuseums.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Vince_In_Brightside_Bowling_Jacket.jpg)
![Skyway Lanes Bowling Alley building on Melvin Avenue.](https://hamiltoncivicmuseums.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Skyway_Lanes.jpg)
![Skyway Lanes Bowling Alley with people at play inside.](https://hamiltoncivicmuseums.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/At_The_Skyway_Lanes.jpg)
Listen: Remembering Through Bowling. Click the play circle below.