Cochrane Lanes is set to roll into league play next week.
Games officially start Sept. 5 which has people itching with excitement.
Cochranites Dennis and Betty Goodsell have been bowling in various leagues for the past 20 years and have been bowling at Cochrane Lanes since day one.
“I love the friendship, the milling with people,” Dennis said of being in a league. “The exercise … it gets us out and involved in something together.
“Year after year, we keep coming back … you meet people of all ages.”
His wife couldn’t agree more.
“We like having the social time,” Betty gushed. “With all the people over the years … knowing people and I guess I should say exercise, too.”
Cochrane Lanes opened in 2007 after Sherri and Dwayne LaMontagne and Kathy and Barry Ogden purchased the facility – this building has been a bowling centre since the 1990s and when the owner was going to sell, the four felt compelled to buy.
“We were the only option on keeping it a bowling lane,” LaMontagne stated. “Other buyers were going to turn it into something else.
“It’s important to many people’s lives … including our own.”
LaMontagne has been bowling since he was a boy and remembers the love he had and still does for bowling; he thought it was extremely important that the Cochrane community didn’t lose its only bowling alley.
When LaMontagne moved here from Regina back in 2000 he used bowling as a way to socialize and enrolled his then six-year-old son into youth bowling.
“It’s the people, it’s a night out every week,” LaMontagne stated. “It’s an opportunity to meet new people.”
The leagues play four nights a week from September through to April.
Due to popular demand, there is also now a spring league from May 8 until June 19 for the leagues that are “die-hards.”
The leagues run from Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday evenings. There are also some daytime leagues. Call the lanes at 403-932-5280 for more information.
