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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.

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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