In a strip mall in northeast Edmonton, local residents have joined together for fun and a few frames of bowling since 1964. Originally called Todd Lanes, the alley now goes by the name KJ Bowl. Jocelyn Dearing began working at the lanes in 2003. Five years later, the owners came to her wanting to sell and thought she and her husband would make great owners. “We thought they were kidding,” says Jocelyn. “They had asked several times and I thought 'I can’t afford a bowling alley.' My husband said 'why don’t we look into it and see what’s involved?'”
They decided it was worth a try because bowling is Jocelyn's passion. “Sometimes, I questioned what I had gotten into. Running KJ Bowl was a whole lot more [work] than I thought,” says Jocelyn. It was her passion for the sport that got her through those tough times. She started bowling in 1982 and continues to bowl in a league once a week, in addition to participating in tournaments when possible.