9 minute read
SERVICE DIRECTORY
For decades one of the most popular ways to spend an evening has been at the local bowling alley; where social hangout meets friendly competition. Valley Bowling Lanes has been proud to offer years of entertainment to the Winkler area and have opened their new location this year. With a completely revamped bowling experience and a wide variety of entertainment options, VB’s Entertainment Center has a lot to offer. This is how they came to end up in their new building, a project many years in the making.
The previous main street location was built in 1974, after the first bowling alley in Winkler had burned down. In 2005, Abe Hildebrant started working for his in-laws Pete and Marge Klassen who owned Valley Bowling Lanes. He balanced working construction in the summer and doing the maintenance and mechanical work at the bowling alley during the winter months. It was a never ending task for Abe, as the aging machines needed constant work each day just to get people through their games. This, combined with the overall lack of space, both pointed towards a bigger change that was needed.
Valley Bowling Lanes had taken on a special place in the community. It was a favourite location for many who kept coming back to enjoy the fun atmosphere, especially when it meant escaping the long Manitoba winters. “Bowling has always been popular,” said Abe, “a part of it is that everybody can do it, from toddlers to seniors.” A special part of the job was seeing the same people coming back every year, which included Christmas parties and other traditions or events that still continue on.
When his in-laws were looking to sell the bowling alley, it only made sense for Abe to buy in. He was one of the few people who had an understanding of the old pin machines. While he wouldn’t say he gets as competitive about the game as many around him, he loves the social aspect of it, bringing people together for a fun night out.
Abe was willing to do whatever it took to see the business do well and did his best to revamp the space. A few years into his new role, he was tasked with the job of replacing the old scoring system which was on its last life. There was a brand new, top of the line scoring system available that Abe was interested in buying, with the only issue being the steep price tag. Wanting to test it out before committing, he found a bowling alley in Minneapolis that had just recently installed the system and he drove out for a visit. To his surprise, when he called the bowling alley for directions,
he found out that the new scoring system was actually for sale, as the building was about to be torn down and replaced with a car dealership. With the owners urgent need to sell off as much equipment as possible, Abe got an incredible offer and bought the system for a fraction of the would be cost, ending up paying almost ten times less than the other system he was looking at. It was necessary for him to pick up the equipment right away, so he drove down with his brother-in-law and their friend over the weekend. That Sunday evening, Abe started the lengthy task of replacing his scoring system and amazingly had it up and running for the following evening of bowling.
The time came to seriously look at solving the buildings long-term problems of inadequate space and faulty machines, to offer a better overall experience. While they looked at a lot of possibilities, even building on a second level, nothing that involved keeping the existing building ever seemed to be a feasible option.
“My goal from the beginning was always to build new” said Abe of his vision to build something bigger for the community. This desire came from the countless experiences of having to turn people away who had come to bowl, as there was simply not enough room to keep up with the growing
community. “It’s not fun to see a family that has packed up their kids and driven twenty minutes in the cold weather, fully expecting to bowl, to then be turned away.” Abe said this was often the case, as many days they were either at full capacity, or it was a league day, which meant the bowling alley was not open to the general public. They needed a space where they could operate their leagues while still having lanes available.
To go forward with his dream, Abe knew he was going to need help and asked Christina Dyck who was a current employee, as well as Marv Thiessen, if they wanted to become partners in the business. They both signed on, with the understanding that change was starting to happen, as Abe told them about the big opportunity they had to build something special. Six months later, everyone was in agreement that planning should start on a brand new building. “We were drawing it up with the mindset that it would probably happen within the next two or three years” said Abe. When land came up for sale along highway fourteen, they bought a lot, and were going to hold onto it until the right time to build. Around the same time, they discovered that plans had been made to conveniently place a hotel right beside their lot, which now seemed like the
Planning went into high gear, as the ownership group travelled all over North America to find inspiration and look at all the options that were available in building an entertainment center. They weren’t just looking at building a bowling alley, but wanted to offer other activities that people were interested in. An important feature of the new building is a Vegas inspired mezzanine, a second floor that overlooks the bowling action down below, while offering a lounge and entertainment options such as a virtual golfing system, mini golf and billiards. The second floor space is designed in such a way that it would be easy to switch things out, and replace one activity with another if there was a need for change. “I didn’t want to be in the same position as I was in the other building, with the feeling of being stuck and without options” said Abe of the reasoning behind the mezzanine.
This feature was one of the more challenging parts of completing the building, a process Abe and Christina said was overall a good experience. “It was a lively atmosphere in here throughout the whole building process” said Christina as the team was able to work with great people to finish the unique project. “We still get people coming in here saying, we can’t believe we’re in Winkler” said Abe,
“this is exactly the response we wanted.”
Along with the buildings distinctive look that involved using signature pieces taken from the previous building, is their increased
space. Having two sections of lanes allow for public bowling to take place at the same time as league bowling, making the bowling alley open to the public every day of the week. The brand new bowling machines allow the staff to be freed up from performing constant maintenance and are able to put their energy into a better overall experience for the customer. “There wasn’t a lane at the old bowling alley that you could use and walk out without having had some sort of issue” said Abe, as the new lanes offer interruption free bowling. The lanes also offer new features like playing unique built in games you can play within the round of bowling. King Pinz Pub and Grill is the in-house restaurant which includes the option to order food straight to your lane through the provided tablet. The new place offers a lively setting that has an overall appeal to more people. “We have a better ability to control the atmosphere” said Christina, as VB’s is the perfect place for a fun night out with friends, family, or to go for a date night. Entertainment for younger children is also provided with a large, two story play center that is exciting for any kid.
After a lot of hard work, the new entertainment center opened last year on December first. It opened in stages, and by mid January the entire business was open, including the kitchen. With the huge push it took to open, it was disappointing when the sudden March shutdown hit, halting the activity for a while and postponing the grand opening until next year. Currently they are operating at a reduced capacity and have plenty of space to spread
Design Partners with Valley Bowl + Ed Penner Construction
Verne Reimer Architecture
people out. “You play the hand that you get dealt” said Abe of the current situation. Overall, this has been another big step for a business that has been in the community for many years and looks forward to many more years of experiences and memories made at their new location. “Hopefully we can do well and bring even more options to the community” he added in regards to the future aspirations of the team. They also want to extend a huge thank you to the community and surrounding area that has supported them all these years and allow them to do what they do.
Congratulations on the new facility!
