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The best job on earth

The Youbou Community Bowling Alley has been around for 61 years, and the pins are still set by hand.
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Blake Meanley waiting to set pins.

Nina Kossenko thinks her job is the best job on earth. The Youbou Community Bowling Alley has been around for 61 years, and the pins are still set by hand. Kossenko says that the four lane bowling alley is also dusted, stripped, and polished by hand, along with score keeping.

The lanes will be open for Heritage Days on May 19 from 6-9 p.m. But don’t just go for the bowling, go for a chance to check out the historical memorabilia as well.

The walls are lined with pictures, trophies, and shelves packed with binders full of clippings and information gathered and compiled by Tara Daly, Anne Campbell, Betty Smith, Lavern Miller and Sylvia Dene since the Youbou mill in closed in 2000.

Residents have brought in pictures and news clippings, badges from boy scouts and bowling, and Daly has even had one person try to donate a beautiful antique desk.

The UBO Historical Club has even put together a book called UBO Remembered which commemorates the town, its logging heritage, and its beginnings.

Kossenko says that many of the town’s youth find their first job at the bowling alley setting pins, and it’s not an easy job. Often the pins will fly off the lanes and hit the back wall, or the person perched between the lanes.

Lanes are available for party rentals and family nights are every Friday, with the first Friday of the month only costing $1.  Go to the website cvrd.bc.ca, for more details, or phone 250-749-6742.