The popular Centre de Quilles 440 bowling Alley in the Quebec city of Laval is closing its doors after 33 years.
According to CTV News Montreal, the land that the "beloved" and longstanding centre is situated on will now be used for residential development.
Centres de Quilles 440 has been host to a number of prestigious events in its time, such as national championships, the TV charity event Telethon of Stars and the professional senior tour.
Set to close at the end of April, the centre's lanes are reportedly still "bustling" with players, some even travelling from further away regions to play together at the venue.
Hirsch Schnayer, who co-owned the venue with wife Sharon Schnayer, said: "The land is too valuable to continue as a bowling centre, and somebody made us an offer that basically we can't refuse. It's just too much money, so we will sail off into the sunset and enjoy our retirement."
Sharon Schnayer expressed that the venue has been their go-to "social club" and spoke about its diverse offering throughout the years. "We do Special Olympics, seniors bowling in the afternoons, we have a lot of people at night, there's a lot of tournaments and fundraisers, and generally anything people want like parties, but it's pretty much over now," she said.
Frequent player and patron of the venue Mike Dawe told CTV News Montreal: "You enjoy coming down for the people as much as the bowling, and now it's closing, so everybody that's in a league or something like that is looking for another place to go."
Retired professional bowler and Canada Sports Hall of Fame member Cathy Townsend has been seen regularly having fun at the centre throughout the years, much of the time practising for historic wins such as the QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup, where she was the first woman of Canada to win in 1975.
Townsend expressed that she was sad Quilles 440 was closing.
