Wonderland arcade’s future grim
Repairing building damaged by neighbouring fire too expensive
Unless someone is willing to buy all of Dorothy Stuart’s arcade games and take over, the Wonderland Entertainment Centre is unlikely to be resurrected.
Located at 1729 Broad St., Wonderland was one of the last places Reginans could experience classic arcade gaming for $5 an hour. The arcade had been nearing its 41st year in business before a fire that consumed Lang’s Café next door on April 4 caused damage to several neighbouring businesses.
Wonderland escaped the flames, but was damaged when Lang ’s second storey got knocked onto its roof. Water damage has also compromised the south wall of Wonderland’s building. The arcade is currently empty aside from a safe and a fridge.
All of Stuart’s arcade games are in storage, and will have to be moved out at the end of the month. She doesn’t expect the classic games to go back to their former home. The cost of getting Wonderland back up and running is just too high.
Stuart said repairing the building would cost an estimated $368,000, and she has been unable to find a new location with a rent she could afford. With the city’s zoning restrictions for coin-operated entertainment venues, options for a new venue are also limited.
More importantly, things were becoming hard for Wonderland even before the fire.
The arcade has always been a family business, and was run by Stuart with her three brothers.
Her brother Bob Bryant passed away 10 years ago, and her brother Frank died a year ago. Her other brother, Bill, is currently unable to work there due to health issues.
Stuart said her brothers’ deaths were a huge blow to the business, and the fire just made things worse.
“This was icing on the overbaked cake. I really think that we’re just going to start selling off because there’s just really no way to do it,” said Stuart.
Wonderland’s dire predicament was met with an outpouring of support from the community. Several people have suggested starting a GoFundMe, but Stuart won’t hear it. She said crowd funding is a tool to help people who are truly in need. “This is just a business,” she said. It’s clear Wonderland really meant something to Reginans, especially those who grew up during the heyday of arcade gaming. Ward 3 city councillor Andrew Stevens said it was similar to the Plains Hotel in that it was a gathering point for people of different demographics and races, a reputation not many other businesses can claim.
“I think it had served an important, if you will, public function and it’s gone. The arcade business and the arcade spaces are a dying breed and this place was sustainable, and it was sad that the fire had to remove it,” said Stevens.
Learning how much Wonderland meant has been humbling to Stuart. She recalls when arcades were viewed far less favourably. As places kids would go to skip school. “I’m just totally stunned,” said Stuart.
Stuart is open to any ideas someone may have for reviving the arcade, but doesn’t see herself being part of the business if it continued. She’d prefer to pass the torch to someone else.