Noteworthy

Introducing a Brand New Online Event for Club 55 Bowlers

It all begins January 1st, 2026. Visit the official website https://club55shootout.ca for all the details. In the meantime, here’s a summary of the event:

What it’s about

The Club 55 Shootout is an online national championship for members of Bowl Canada’s Club 55 program.

  • Open to both Fivepin & Tenpin members.
  • 4 Player team event.
  • “Pins Over Average” (100% handicap) format.

Format & timeline

  • Entry fee: $30 per team (4 players).
  • The qualifying phase spans 3 weeks, based on first three games each week of your regular league.
  • After qualifications, a bracket elimination format begins

Eligibility & scoring

  • Highest league average as of January 1 (with a minimum of 21 games) is used throughout the vent. Last season’s average can be used if you don’t have enough games this season.
  • Teams may have any gender combination and can include bowlers from different leagues.

Prize & general rules

  • Prize pool is built entirely from entry fees for the relevant division (Fivepin vs Tenpin).
  • Please visit https://club55shootout.ca for the format, rules, prizes & more!

New Scholarship opportunity for Bowl Canada Members

Bowl Canada is pleased to announce that as of this season it
will provide member proprietors’ families with an opportunity
to receive a scholarship towards post-secondary
education. This new initiative was adopted at the Annual
Meeting this summer in Winnipeg.

The Industry Scholarship is open to the children and
grandchildren of Bowl Canada members. Whether used
towards education to continue the family business one day, or for another course that takes the recipient on to new directions…. The scholarship is intended to give back to the families that make our industry and sport stronger.

The application process is being finalized now and members
can expect to see information soon via E-News. Stay tuned!

Canada Cups Online Shootout Entry Period is Open!

This season brings an exciting change — the Canada Cups Online Shootout and the National Classified Online Shootout are joining forces into one bigger, better event!

The new Canada Cups Online Shootout will feature:
✅ POA-based team entries (deadline October 27)
✅ Automatic Singles entry for every team member — with in-class scratch scoreboards
✅ Cash prizes awarded to both the Team and Singles prize pools

🗓️ Key Dates:

  • Entry Deadline: October 27
  • Online Qualifying: Nov 3 – Dec 6
  • Bracket Finals: Jan 5 – Feb 15

💵 Entry Fee: $75 per team

This is your chance to bowl, compete, and connect with others across Canada — all in one streamlined event!

Get your teams ready — entries close October 27th!

Bowl Canada welcomes Walter Heeney to the Hall of Fame!

Walter’s journey in bowling began in the 1960s while working at companies like Coca-Cola and Shell Canada. By 1969 he joined the Master Bowlers Association (MBA) and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming MBA President in 1972. He secured major sponsorships for the sport and, after losing re-election in 1974, began writing a popular Toronto Star bowling column that ran until 1981.

Transitioning full-time into bowling, Walter helped produce instructional materials and served in leadership roles with the Ontario Bowling Congress and Professional Bowling Ltd. In 1978, he became President of the Master Bowlers Association of Canada—a position he held for an astounding 39 years.

Walter was instrumental in creating the Bowl for Millions fundraiser with Big Brothers, securing Hiram Walker as a national sponsor, and launching the Master Bowlers/Special Olympics Doubles Championship. He also co-founded Ontario’s youth bowling schools, helping generations of young athletes.

Recognized as both a builder and player, Walter earned numerous honors, including multiple Hall of Fame inductions and awards for media and volunteerism. In 2024, he published A Trip Down Memory Lane, a 480-page history of five-pin bowling, cementing his legacy as the sport’s historian.

Today, Walter continues to promote bowling—visiting seniors’ homes and sharing his passion wherever he can. His proudest achievements remain his Toronto Star column, bringing Hiram Walker sponsorship to the sport, and his enduring partnership with Special Olympics.

Congratulations to 2025 Hall of Fame inductee, Walter Heeney—true builder, leader, and ambassador of Canadian five-pin bowling.

5 Pin Universe awarded the Jack Fine President’s Award for 2025!

The Jack Fine President’s Award honors individuals or groups who make a lasting impact on the Canadian bowling industry.

The 2025 recipients are the Edmonton-based team 5 Pin Universe, made up of Darrell Bradley, Mark Johnstone, Karie Kreutz, Dexter Wiseman, and Tim Wiseman.

Over the past 15 years, 5 Pin Universe has transformed competitive 5-pin bowling in Canada through several major initiatives:

  • 5 Pin Universe Podcast Network – the leading media platform for bowling discussions, with 250+ episodes, 340K+ views, and 100K+ watch hours.
  • Western Canadian Bowling Tour (WCBT) – launched in 2015, uniting major cash events into Canada’s top competitive bowling circuit with over 1,200 entries each season.
  • 5 Pin Pro League (5PL) – a national, live-streamed competition featuring 26 teams, showcasing the sport to fans across Canada.

Bradson Bowling (led by Darrell Bradley) has provided essential support through operations, sponsorships, and promotional production, including custom jerseys and branded merchandise for associations nationwide.

Together, 5 Pin Universe has expanded the sport’s visibility, community engagement, and professionalism—both on-site and online—garnering thousands of followers and a national audience.

Congratulations to 5 Pin Universe, recipients of the 2025 Jack Fine President’s Award for their outstanding dedication and innovation in Canadian 5-pin bowling.

Turkey Bowl is Back!

Think Turkey & Bowl Canada have teamed up once again for the Second Annual TURKEY BOWL, with over $17,000 in prizes to be won!

How to Participate:

  • From February 17-19, 2025, visit a participating Bowling Centre across Canada (Click here for a list).
  • Bowl a turkey (achieve 3 strikes in a row).
  • Snap a selfie with the scoreboard in the background clearly showing your three consecutive strikes, along with your name.
  • To submit an entry, bowlers simply snap a picture of their “turkey” on the digital scoreboard and share to a public Instagram or Facebook account with @CanadianTurkey and #ThinkTurkey tagged, or upload it via the contest entry form at ThinkTurkey.ca/TurkeyBowl.
  • To get in the spirit, bowlers can fuel up for the challenge with turkey menu items like turkey nachos and turkey hot dogs available at select participating bowling centres.
  • Full Rules & Regulations can be viewed here: https://www.canadianturkey.ca/turkeybowl.

The Prize:

All entrants who upload a photo (as above) will be placed in a draw in which 250 entrants will win a $50 Visa Gift Card.  Additionally, all entrants will be entered for the Grand Prize draw for one of ten $500 Grocery Gift Cards to use towards their next turkey dinner!

A note from Mark Hubert, President and CEO, Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors:

“A turkey dinner brings family and friends together, and so does bowling! We hope this fun challenge becomes an annual tradition for years to come.”

Last year’s Turkey Bowl resulted in record-high numbers with approximately 648,500 bowlers over the course of the long weekend. The inaugural Turkey Bowl saw 729 Canadians bowl a turkey and enter for their chance to win prizes.

The National Classified Online Championships is on now!

The National Classified Online Championships is a new take on an old classic, returning the fun of competition with mixed ability bowlers, working together towards National success!

This Championship is a HYBRID of the old and the new. In its initial stage, the event is just like its predecessor, the National Classified Bowling Championships. Bowlers enter in league and compete against others of like ability in their centre for the right to advance to the National event.

The National event (running online now) consists of a 3 week cross-Canada qualifying round, followed by Championship Bracket Finals.

CLICK HERE to visit the official National Classified website to see the complete format, results & prize money.

The Canada Cups Online Shootout is Back!

$10,000 up for grabs as BOWL CANADA LAUNCHES THE CANADA CUPS ONLINE SHOOTOUT!

As the 2023-24 bowling season kicks off, Bowl Canada proudly announces the launch of the CANADA CUPS ONLINE SHOOTOUT, an event that provides Canadian league bowlers an opportunity to enjoy friendly competition with peers from across Canada from the comfort of their own bowling centre.  

Here’s how it works;

League bowlers (through the bowling centre management) may enter a team in the Shootout by October 6, 2023. For a list of eligible bowling centres CLICK HERE.

The event is conducted in 4 divisions;

  • Fivepin….5-player teams @ $30 per entry
  • Fivepin Seniors (55+)….4-player teams @ $25 per entry
  • Tenpin….4-player teams @ $25 per entry
  • Tenpin Seniors (55+)….4-player teams @ $25 per entry

80% of Entry Fees will be allocated to the Prize Fund, which will be paid out 100%.  The remaining 20% of Entry Fees will cover administration costs.  Each division’s prize fund will be based on entries in that division.

All entered teams will compete in a 3 week Qualifying Round where regular league scores are posted online.  The top 16 teams across Canada each week (plus Ties and Wildcard spots) will advance to the next round (Elimination Bracket).

64 Teams will compete in the Elimination Bracket, with the field reduced by 50% each week until the final 2 teams compete for the Championship from December 11 to 17.

The Top 16 Teams in each division receive a share of the anticipated $10,000 Prize Pool (based on expected entries of 450 teams).  Exact details on prize distribution to be announced once entries have finalized.

WATCH FOR MORE this season as Bowl Canada will also be launching a return of an old favourite. The NATIONAL CLASSIFIED BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIPS – ONLINE EDITION is returning this year due to popular demand.  Watch for details in the coming weeks.