A historic bowling alley in the Ottawa Valley received a unique renovation with the help of Canadian handyman Bryan Baeumler.
Formerly known as Arnprior Bowling Centre, local business owners Matthew and Alicia Ott purchased the business in 2022 and renamed it Steelheads & Strikes.
“When we first saw this old building, we saw natural architecture, features and archways and we immediately thought we could take it back in time more easily than modernizing it,” said Matthew Ott.
The bowling alley, located about 60 kilometers west of Ottawa, is the oldest public commercial bowling alley in Canada, dating back to June 1930.
After operating for a few months following the buyout, the Otts applied for Baeumler's new HGTV renovation show, “All In.”
Their episode is set to be the first to kick off the series on Sunday, March 31 at 10 p.m.
“Brian was fantastic and very sincere when he said that this project was about reaching out to his fellow entrepreneurs across Canada,” said Matthew Ott.
“It was kind of a hodgepodge of several different eras,” he says of what the business looked like before the renovation. “So there wasn’t necessarily a cohesive look.”
“Knowing that it was the oldest bowling alley in Canada, we absolutely wanted to highlight that original 1930s atmosphere,” added Alicia Ott.
Business owners say the show will also highlight the community as a whole, with Baeumler and his team taking a liking to the Ottawa Valley.
“You’ll get to see a little piece of the Ottawa Valley that you might not normally see,” Alicia said.
“Bryan and the whole group were in love with this area.”
