THE HEART OF THE CITY

DELTA BINGO

43 King Street East

CURRENT STATUS (1999)
Present Owner: Cameron and Johnstone Limited
Present Use: Delta Bingo
Heritage Status: Listed on the City's Inventory of Buildings of Architectural and / or Historical Interest
Locally Significant Date: Early Twentieth Century

BUILDING INFORMATION
Date Built: 1930; completely renovated with rear addition 1949; renovated late 1990s
Original Owner: S.S. Kresge Co. of Canada
Original Use: Kresge's "five and dime" store
Subsequent Uses: Same until 1994; Delta Bingo 1998
Previous Building on Site: Two five-storey late nineteenth century commercial buildings

ARCHITECTURE
Size: Two-storeys
Design and Style: Art Deco (1930); Art Moderne (1949 store front remodelling)
Architect, Builder: 1930: architect unknown, Frid Construction Company; 1949 addition and alterations: G.A. McElroy (architect), W.H. Yates Construction Co.
Construction Materials: Facades: brick with artificial stone trim, stainless steel and porcelain enamel panels
Architectural Integrity: Good (entire front and side facades, as extended and altered in 1949 virtually intact except for removal of original Kresge sign).
Architectural Features:  Low proportions of building; Art Deco treatment of upper facades:   stepped piers rising above the roof parapet and ziggurat motif over windows; original storefronts with inset entrances and curved windows, porcelain enamel facing; "S.S. Kresge Co." sign comprising individual stamped metal letters affixed to the fascia above the entrances removed since closure of store

Delta Bingo began twenty years ago at its old location, just east of the King and Main Street delta. The bingo occupied an old grocery store, but when Loblaws reclaimed the site, the bingo parlour was forced to move.

Delta Bingo’s owners, Cameron and Johnstone, became interested in the former Kresge store at King and Hughson Streets. The new location would provide modern, classy facilities, and free parking in the nearby lot owned by Cameron and Johnstone. Although $500,000 in renovations was done on the new building before the bingo moved in, the outside of the building was not altered structurally, although it was decorated. Many citizens were unhappy that a bingo parlour was moving in downtown. According to some, the bingo hall was exactly what a downtown core, that was trying to revitalize itself, did not need. They saw a bingo hall as a "symbol of poverty" and thought it would create a bad image for the core. But the manager of Delta Bingo thought differently. According to him, 15,000 bingo players would do well for local businesses.

In the end, the opposition was not strong enough to keep Delta Bingo out of the downtown. The bingo hall opened in March 1998. The owners bought many things to prepare for the new location: A black, yellow and green party carpet, new tables and a sign from Las Vegas.

REFERENCES:
Clipping File – Hamilton – Gambling - Bingo.  Special Collections, HPL.
LACAC Research File.  Planning Department, City Hall.