Academy Lanes will head to the west

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/04/2018 (2918 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Those disappointed to see Academy Lanes close their doors later this month will be able to get in some bowling action just 10 minutes away.

The family-owned business has announced their new location in St. James (1301 St. Matthews Ave.), which they hope to move into in July. The current location will shut its doors this month.

Owner Todd Britton says they will miss the location they’ve called home for 35 years, but they’re looking forward to the new spot, which they are calling Uptown Alley.

“When this opened, it was Uptown Theatre, and then Uptown Lanes, and we switched it because that’s what the customers called it, so why fight it?” Britton said. “But we thought we’d go back to our roots and bring that with us.”

Britton said they were asked to vacate the space by the landlord. Though nothing has been confirmed, the building will likely be used for mixed residential and commercial purposes.

“We were hoping to announce that we had to leave and announce a new location at the same time, but it didn’t work out… we were a little naïve with that process,” Britton said.

“Moving to the neighbourhood is kind of exciting. We went through the process of being sad about leaving here, but we’re really excited to be able to re-establish, and we think we’re going to a really positive area. Everyone knows of Polo Park, and that area. It’s easily accessible, lots of traffic.

“I think generally when a business leaves their original location, they’re hoping for a location that’s at least as good as the one they left, but I think for us, we’re going to a better location. We’re upgrading in many respects.”

Britton said that they will miss the beautiful old building that houses the lanes now, as well as their neighbours in the River Heights area. However, the new space will be more of an entertainment centre than simply a bowling alley.

“We’ll have laser tag, a game room and a redemption area where you get tickets,” he said. “We’ll also have it so adults will want to play too and have prizes they would want.”

Britton doesn’t see love for bowling dying down anytime soon.

“It’s just a relaxing activity that it’s OK not to be good at, and you still can have a good time,” he said. “It lends itself to conversation… it’s one of the few things that four or five generations can come and play and all enjoy. Generally when that wide range of ages is going somewhere, someone is not enjoying it, or making a sacrifice for someone else.

“But really, an 80-year-old and an eight-year-old can both have a blast.”

Britton says they’ll be totally shut down for approximately 90 days between the closure on Academy and the opening in St. James.