For more than a decade south islanders looking to bowl strikes have had to travel to Langford or Sidney, but a proposal is in the works to see bowling return to Saanich.
The Canadian Brewhouse, a Canadian restaurant company with 31 locations, is hoping to open a restaurant under a new brand called “The Banquet.”
The proposal is for a 636 seat, two-storey restaurant at Uptown Shopping Centre along with 6-lanes of 10-pin bowling to be built at 207-3500 Uptown Boulevard.
If approved, it would be the first bowling alley in Victoria’s urban core since Town and Country Lanes closed up shop on May 31, 2007. The former bowling alley was part of the Town and Country Shopping Centre, which is where Uptown Shopping Centre is located today.
One of the last bowls at the former Town and Country Lanes in May 2007. File photo.
“Right now, we’re going through the licensing process and hope, if all goes well, that we would open in January or February of 2020,” says Karen Paulgaard, vice-president of marketing for the Canadian Brewhouse.
The company already has a Banquet location open in Fort McMurray and says reaction to it has been extremely positive.
Along with bowling, the Saanich proposal calls for a rooftop patio as well as other games including giant Jenga and bean toss. The Fort McMurray location also features a massive wheel similar to the one in the TV gameshow The Price is Right.
Saanich council is scheduled to discuss the proposal Monday, Aug. 12.
The company says it is hoping to have the location open in January or February of 2020.
Joe Perkins
