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Our History

The Peterborough Lawn Bowling Club has a long history in the City of Peterborough. On April 30 190l, a large number of citizen organized the club. Dr Robert P. Boucher was elected the first President. They established seven rinks on the lot at the north east corner of Simcoe and Aylmer Streets, 150'x140'. There were  94 bowlers in the first season, paying the annual fee of $2. By mid-June, the grounds were ready for play. After the site was sold for building the YWCA, the Lawn Bowling Club moved to the south west corner or Brock and Aylmer. The new bowling greens and tennis courts at Brock and Aylmer were on a lot 220' x 100', with the frame club house facing Bethune Street. It was called Brookside Park. The club remained here until 1929. This is now the site of Fleming Park. 

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 “The Peterborough Lawn Bowling Club Limited” was incorporated, dated December 13 1928, with authority to issue shares of common stock. The first share was sold  January 23 1929 to John H. Sedgewick, who was also the  President. Women were permitted to play by the late 1940's, but only in the daytime as the gentlemen had the greens in the evening.

 

The beautiful 1 3/4 storey brick building featured a large reception room with brick fireplace, beveled glass French doors, hardwood floors, walnut wainscot, beamed ceiling, decorative cornice, a built-in trophy case, and kitchen facilities. The verandah on the south side overlooked the greens.  In 2009 this building was purchased by the Peterborough Rugby Club and moved to Nicholls Oval.

 

In 2010, the new clubhouse was constructed in partnership with Whitlaw Mariners a seniors group. The building cost over $ 2.3 million with local, provincial and federal funding. A loan from the city of $600 thousand has been paid down through banquet hall rentals and donations from members and others. In addition to lawn bowling activities, the following activities are offered year-round: darts, shuffleboard, bid euchre, bridge, indoor carpet bowling and line dancing.

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Trent Valley Archives holds all the records, photos, and other historical material on the lawn bowling club from 1920 to 2018 in Fonds # 743. Please click here to view the details. Further research is continuing from the beginning in 1901 using the newly digitized Examiner newspapers.

In the Heritage Gazette of the Trent Valley Vol.20, No. 3 November 2015, Elwood Jones published an article titled “British bowlers in Peterborough in 1906”. Please click here to view this very informative article on our past. Our plan is to create digital access to our club history including:

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  • Inventory our past Presidents from 1901 to the present by what they worked at, where they lived, and their spouse. Their accomplishments and bowling events of the period will also be time-lined.

  • Listing all the news stories from the Examiner from 1901 and scanning significant headline stories for members to view online.

  • Scanning old photos of bowling events like our anniversaries, tournaments, and award winners.

  • Pictures of our two clubhouses built in 1929 and 2010.

  • Inventory of our trophies and winning teams ​   

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