The permanent closure of Fast Lane Bowling in Minden Hills “has affected a lot of people in our community who enjoyed participating in the sport,” said Trina West, who oversaw bowling for the Haliburton County Red Wolves Special Olympics.
Business owners, Kandice and John Head, announced the shuttering Sept. 30.
On social media, the Heads said they had made the decision “with broken hearts. After struggling with ongoing issues inside the building for the past eight months, we are unable to not only financially keep the business going; it has now become a health and safety concern for our family and our bowlers to be in that environment.”
However, landlord, Amit Khera, told The Highlander Monday (Oct. 5) that while he understands the closure is disappointing for the community, he does not agree with “the impression that they neglected the tenant or failed to help.”
In an interview with The Highlander Oct. 5, Kandice Head said, “I’m sure it was known through the town we’ve had some issues.” She said they had no heat from December until mid-March. She said a heating unit was installed in time for March break and they re-opened. However, in mid-April, she said they had to call the fire department when they noticed a burning smell. She said there were hydro issues. They closed, again, for the summer. She said they decided in mid-August they could not reopen.
Head said the landlord did not charge rent for awhile and offered to replace lights so their hydro bill would be cheaper, which was “great, but a little late.” She said there was water coming into the building, and they also found what they think is black mould. Khera said he was not aware of any black mould issue.
Khera said he purchased the property in August 2025. He said that before the furnace stopped working in mid-December, the Heads had not informed him it was malfunctioning or needed replacement.
He said when they contacted him, they provided a quote of more than $50,000 for a new unit. He said he looked into other options and arranged to have it replaced at a cost of approximately $30,000.
“Securing and installing a commercial heating unit of this size takes time, but I took action after the problem was reported and paid for the replacement,” Khera said.
He said he also “provided substantial rent relief to help her through this period… and other concessions … this was a significant effort on our part to support her business, in addition to paying for the new heating unit.”
He said the owners did not ignore reported building problems.
Head tells a different story. She said they did not know there were any furnace issues. “All we knew was that it took forever to heat the building and the cost to heat was extremely high. When the unit stopped working (Dec. 8), I spoke to Amit right away.”
She said Khera’s decision to get someone else to do the work caused delays, and they did not have confidence in the work crew.
The Heads told the leagues in August they would be closing.
“All around, just devastated. But all the leagues, everybody, 100 per cent understood and supported me, which made it even harder,” Head said.
West said, “the closure of the bowling alley has been extremely upsetting and disappointing for our athletes. Bowling was the most popular and well-attended Red Wolves sport.
“It is a very unfortunate situation. Bowling is a sport that everyone can enjoy. Children, seniors, special needs individuals are all affected by this closure. Bowling accommodated all age levels and skill levels. Hopefully, at some point, someone will come along with a vision and build a new one.”
