Bowling enthusiasts and hall owners are appalled that the practice of their passion cannot resume on February 14 in Quebec, like most other indoor sports and leisure activities. The little colored balls have not been touched for more than a month at the BG Laval 2000 bowling alley.
Andre Wilky, 84, dropped by to see his son, Bobby Wilky, owner of the business. But he cannot practice this sport, which has always been an integral part of his life. “I am condemned not to move, loose the octogenarian. It’s important to get the kids moving, but the old ones too. »
Prime Minister François Legault cited mental health on Tuesday to justify the reopening of gyms, climbing centers, indoor golf facilities and group activities of 25 people or less. Why were bowling alleys excluded, such as arcades, amusement parks, escape rooms, laser battles or darts?
“It’s an exercise, all the same: you get up, you sit down, you exercise your arm and your concentration,” continues André Wilky, who believes that bowling is neglected by public health authorities because it’s not is not “glamorous”.
Like many other seniors, bowling is the activity that also allows him to socialize. According to Bobby Wilky, a very large proportion of his usual clientele is over 60 years old. But the youngest are also affected. “I work from home, I don’t have the opportunity to go out except to go to the grocery store,” says Guillaume Nadeau, 39, a sports enthusiast from an early age. Going out to the bowling alley, for me, is vital to meeting people and getting out of my head. »
Possible to be safe
Bobby Wilky is president of the Quebec Association of Bowling Alley Owners (APSQQ), which has 95 members. He doesn’t understand why it is possible to play golf in small spaces indoors, but not bowling. At home, each pair of aisles is separated by a low wall and ensures social distancing between two bubbles. It is possible for each participant to use only his own ball. Before closing, wearing a mask was required and frequent hand disinfection was encouraged.
“So far, we have done more than not enough to be safe, because we know that we have a clientele at risk,” says Mr. Wilky. He believes that the government should advocate reopening conditions adapted to the particular situation of bowling alleys, as the sport is played in small groups on pairs of lanes. The average in these salons is 18 aisles.
Mr. Wilky’s business has had almost no revenue for two years, he says. Remember that over the past 22 months, bowling alleys have been closed most of the time, even more so than restaurants.
“Every time we closed, we lost the stock of chips and candies in our snack bar. It’s not good ad infinitum, all that,” underlines the manager of BG Laval 2000, Caroline Chiasson. It has not been possible to recover these losses from the government, says Wilky.
Permanent closures
Although there are already fewer than 200 bowling alleys, Mr. Wilky says he knows several that have recently closed. The owner of the Salon de quilles Saint-Pie, Claude Bédard, believes that the low number of companies in his industry contributes to silence them. “We can shout, but it’s like shouting in a bottle”, expresses in a colorful way the one who received the latest announcements from the government “like a cold shower”.
On January 27, the APSQQ sent a letter to the Premier of Quebec and to several representatives of provincial ministries asking that the situation of its members be taken into consideration. Mr. Wilky says he only received acknowledgments of receipt.
As the sole justification for closing certain centers of activity, the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux responded to the Duty that “the opening of the premises remains gradual in order to limit possible contact” and that “transmission remains high in the community”.