Steelheads and Strikes: Arnprior bowling alley, oldest in Canada, to be featured on HGTV renovation show

A historic bowling alley in the Ottawa Valley has received a once in a lifetime facelift with the help of Canadian handyman Bryan Baeumler.

Once known as the 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 some natural architecture, features and archways and right away we kind of thought we could take it back in time easier than it would be to modernize it,” said Matthew Ott.

The bowling alley, located about 60 kilometres 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 takeover, the Ott’s applied for Baeumler’s new HGTV renovations show “All In.”

Their episode is set to be the first to debut the show on Sunday, March 31 at 10 p.m.

“Brian was fantastic and he was very genuine when he declared that this project is all about reaching out to his fellow entrepreneurs across Canada,” said Matthew Ott.

“It was kind of a mishmash of several different eras,” he says of the business’s appearance pre-renovation. “So it didn’t really have necessarily a cohesive look.”

“Knowing that it was the oldest bowling alley in Canada, we definitely wanted to highlight on that original 1930’s vibe,” added Alicia Ott.

The business owners say the show will also highlight the community as a whole, with Baeumler and his crew taking a liking to the Ottawa Valley.

“You’re going to be able to see a little bit of the Ottawa Valley that you maybe don’t normally see,” said Alicia.

“Bryan and the whole group, they were in love with this area.”