Alberta Bowlers in the Medals in Indoor Singles
Canadian Indoor Singles Championships wrap up with two more medals for Alberta athletes!
Congratulations to all seven Alberta players that competed in the Indoor Singles last week in Vancouver. A lot of great competitive games were played and they all showed that Alberta is a force in lawn bowls!
Joanna Cooper took the Women’s Bronze medal after a week of great bowls. She narrowly missed out on competing for gold as the tie breaking rules placed her in third. But she went on to beat last year’s champ and Canadian Team squad member, Kelly McKerihen of Ontario, to earn the bronze medal. A great accomplishment for Joanna playing in her first ever national event!
Pat Bird placed first over all after the round robin play and went on to play Vince Mai of BC for the Gold medal. It went to the tie breaker end and Pat narrowly lost to Vince and accepted the Men’s Silver medal. But that meant FOUR medals for Pat after completing in FOUR national events this year! A feat we believe never accomplished by another lawn bowler in the 60 years plus of keeping records: Silver Men’s Fours, Bronze Outdoor Singles, Silver Mixed Pairs and now another Silver for Indoor Singles. Well done, Pat!
Alberta Bowlers Competing at National Indoor Singles
Canadian Indoor Singles Championships held in Vancouver, Nov. 2 – 9, 2015
The Canadian Indoor Singles Championships has 7 players from Alberta competing! On the women’s side we have Amanda Berg, Joanna Cooper, Jan Robinson and Claire Day and for the men we have Pat Bird, Alfred Wallace, and Dave Cox. The games run through all this week with the play offs being held on Saturday. Tim Mason and his crew are doing their best to arrange some live streaming of games starting on Thursday so check the Bowls Canada website or their Facebook page for updates. Best of Bowls and good luck to the Alberta players!
2015/16 Board of Directors Update
Election results from 2015 Fall AGM
The Board sees Dave Cox step down after two years as Sr. Vice President. We are thankful for the many contributions Dave has made not only the last two years but previous to that for 8 years involvement through the Bowling Program Committee. In appreciation for his service and dedication Dave was the recipient of the Long Term Service Award for 2015. Dave will continue to contribute to our sport through the two committees he is on for Bowls Canada and as an umpire for our sport.
Pat Bird agreed to stay on for another two years as board treasurer. Two new board members were elected: Cecilia Gillespie as Sr. Vice President and Jon MacDonald as the Provincial Director. Esther Rodzinyak was appointed by the board as the Southern Representative.
That leaves the Board Vice President position vacant…for more information about that position please contact the president at president@bowlsalberta.com or the office at office@bowlsalberta.com. The board may appoint someone to that position for a 1-year term.
Calgary Lawn Bowling Club Closes Downtown Site with a Celebration
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We’re Moving Out, We’re Moving On!
The time has come, we do believe
For our club to up and leave.
No more loud sirens while we play,
No wondering where we’ll park today.
We’ll miss this site more than words can say
It’ll be strange not playing here every day.
We’ve had our moments and lots of fun
But bowling at this site is done!
Calgary Lawn is our bowling home
We’re moving the happy club we’ve known
To our brand new greens on Spruce Cliff Drive
And there “Calgary Lawn” will stay alive.
We hoped this day would never come
We’ll remember where we started from.
As we say goodbye to this heritage site
We’ll strive together to make our future bright!
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Brief history of Clubhouse/Greens
1929 (Sept. 2nd) – 16th Avenue facility was officially opened
1932 – Building of the 2nd green.
1949 – Extension was built onto the clubhouse (complete with plumbing!)
1982 – Modernizing of the clubhouse.
Interesting tidbits from history
1932 – all club members attended semi-annual meeting.
1936 – Cost of replacing the greens was $350 – $400
1937 – Annual fees were $15
1940’s – Banquets and turkey suppers cost $1.50 – $1.75
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Looking forward to starting new at the new site next spring
Alberta Mixed Pairs Team captures another medal!
Canadian Mixed Pairs Championships held in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Sept. 14 – 19, 2015
Congratulations to Pat Bird and Claire! They placed second in the round robin play and went on to meet Keith and Jean Roney in the final medal game.
Keith and Jean continued their stellar play and earned the Gold medal.
Pat Bird helped keep the streak alive for Alberta for the 2015 National events….all men or men’s teams have medaled at every event they have
attended this summer. What a great accomplishment! Only the National Indoor Singles remain and with Pat Bird and Alfred Wallace competing we know they will both be very competitive and hopefully one if not both will take home medals!
Alberta Indoor Singles Playdowns — Stanley Park Lawn Bowling Club, Sept. 12, 13
Congratulations to the medalists!
Women
| Gold | Amanda Berg |
|---|---|
| Silver | Jan Robinson |
| Bronze | Joanna Cooper |
Men
| Gold | Pat Bird |
|---|---|
| Silver | Alfred Wallace |
| Bronze | Dave Cox |
Congratulations to the Gold and Silver Medalists of the Provincial Indoor Singles Playdowns! They will represent Alberta at the Canadian National Indoor Singles Championships being held in Vancouver, BC, November 1 – 7, 2015.
Three Alberta players attend the Canadian 2015 Outdoor Singles Championships
Alberta players brings home medals from the Singles Championships held in held in Winnipeg, MB!
- Bronze Medalist in Women’s singles: Amanda Berg
- Bronze Medalist in Men’s singles: Pat Bird
Congratulations to Amanda Berg and Pat Bird for winning bronze medals at the Singles Championships. Amanda competed against a field of 13 women including our own Claire Day. Pat played in a field of 23 men and was the only AB player. Well done once again Alberta!
Alberta Team Again Shines at the Senior Triples!
Alberta team brings home medals from the 2015 Senior Triples held in Richmond, BC!
- Silver Medalists in Men’s Sr. Triples: Robert Rodzinyak, Keith Wylie & Dave Cox
- Bronze Medalists in Men’s Sr Triples: Brian Ranger, Paul Maskell & Jim Berry
The women’s triples team of Peggy Plathan, Pat Vos & Patricia Walker placed fourth narrowly missing the bronze medal in the very last end of their playoff game. Our second AB women’s team struggled through the poor weather conditions but remained competitive most games. Congratulations to the full Alberta team for a great week of bowls.
Southern Alberta Open Triples, Rotary Park LBC
Northern Alberta Open Triples, Commonwealth LBC
The 2015 Southern and Northern Open Triples were held September 4 – 6 in Calgary and Edmonton under some pretty cool and damp conditions! But all the registrants prevailed with 12 teams competing in each event. Toques, rain gear, gloves, and winter coats made appearances!
Open Triples (N.)
| First | Marlen Shustov, Jason Wang, June Li |
|---|---|
| Second | Rose Meadley, Keith Wylie, Trevor Pohle |
| 3rd/4th | Marvin Kwan, Charlie Jackson, Vivian Kwan |
| 3rd/4th | Cathy Wieliczko, Jim Campbell, Neil Campbell |
First Place: Marlen Shustov, Jason Wang, June Li Leon Dallas
Open Triples (S.)
| First | Dave Simpson, Randy Lopaschuk, Mark Ramsay |
|---|---|
| Second | Jan Robinson, Dwayne Hauck, Bev Robinson |
| Third | Robert Rodzinyak, Al McGarty, Esther Rodzinyak |
Sorry no picture of the southern Open Triples winners…everyone had gone home as it was too cold to stick around!
Blind Bowlers National Championship in Calgary
Blind & Visually Impaired Lawn Bowlers from across Canada competed in the National Singles and fun Pairs events from August 26 – 30 at the Rotary Park Lawn Bowling Club in Calgary.
Outstanding results of some of our Alberta bowlers:
- Vivian Kwan and her director Marvin Kwan – GOLD in the B3 singles
- Heather Hannett and her director Stuart Barton — SILVER in the B2 singles
- Brian McIvor and his director Yvonne McIvor — BRONZE in the B1 Singles
- Brian McIvor and Vivian Berkley — GOLD in the Pairs competition
- Geoff O’Connor and his director Brian Walters — Silver in the B1 pairs competition
- Hugh Gillespie and his director Joy Halverson — Gold in the B2 pairs competition
Congratulations to all the bowlers and their directors. And a special thanks to Stuart Barton and to all of the Rotary Park LBC volunteers for a successful National Competition.
Alberta Team Delivers at 2015 Canadian Championships!!
Alberta team brings home medals from the 2015 Majors in North York!!
- Gold Medalists in Men’s Pairs: Derek Dillon and Greg Wilson
- Gold Medalists in Men’s Triples: Keith Johnson, Paul Maskell and Roy Riege
- Silver Medalists in Men’s Fours: Lyall Adams, Pat Bird, Dave Cox and Peter Mok
- Bronze Medalists in Women’s Pairs: Amanda Berg and Claire Day
Congratulations to the full Alberta team for a great week of bowls. Along with the medals won the women’s triples and fours teams both placed fourth narrowly missing out on two more medals. Well done, Alberta team!
Because of the great play and finishes of the men’s team they also won the Cy English award! This award is given to the provincial men’s team that made the most points throughout the round robin tournament. This was only the second time ever the Alberta Men’s team had won this award!
At the conclusion of the event the Bowls Canada flag was officially passed on to Wendy Berg, chairperson of the 2016 Majors to be held at Commonwealth Lawn Bowling Club in Edmonton.
For additional pictures of the 2015 Canadian Championships:
Google Picasaweb Gallery: 2015 Canadian Nationals – Toronto/North York
Blind Bowlers National Championship in Calgary
Rotary Park Lawn Bowling Club hosts Blind & Visually Impaired Lawn Bowlers
National Lawn Bowling Championship, August 26 – 30
The Blind Bowls Association of Canada is holding its annual national lawn bowling championship in Calgary, Alberta this year at the Rotary Park Lawn Bowling Club. Bowlers will be attending from across Canada. We are pleased to have the following competitors from Alberta:
| Geoff Connor | Royal LBC |
|---|---|
| Hugh Gillespie | Bow Valley LBC |
| Heather Hannett | Calgary LBC |
| Helen Kilgore | Royal LBC |
| Vivian Kwan | Highlands LBC |
| Brian Mclvor | Calgary LBC |
There are very few games that totally blind persons can play but lawn bowling is one such game that all visually impaired and totally blind bowlers can participate in. The rules of lawn bowling for the sighted are adhered to with a couple of minor alterations. There is a white string down the middle of the rink which gives a visual marker for those that can see it and, for the totally blind, something to feel to help orient themselves as to where to roll the bowls. And there are “distance markers” along the edge which tells the bowler how far the jack is away from them. They also have a sighted director with them to tell them whether to play backhand or forehand and how much green to take.
Plan to spend a morning or afternoon watching some games and see how the blind and partially sighted have adapted to our great game. Come and cheer on our six Alberta bowlers!
Alberta Novice Pairs Tournaments Winners 2015 (Aug. 15-16)
Congratulations to the winners of the Novice Pairs competition in Edmonton!
Northern Novice Pairs at Royal LBC, Edmonton — Aug 15 – 16
| Gold | Elizabeth Alleyne & Roman Andrew |
|---|---|
| Silver | Jim Campbell & Neil Campbell |
| Bronze | Ed McDonald & Margaret McDonald |
Gold Medalists (Northern Alberta): Roman Andrew & Elizabeth Alleyne, with Royal LBC president
Seven teams competed in the Australian Pairs Tournament, with players from all three Edmonton clubs participating. At least the weather didn’t stop the event…the Calgary Novice tournament was cancelled because of lots of rain!
Unfortunately the Southern Pairs in Calgary were rained out.
Brad Roden has a great experience at the Canadian Juniors Championships!
The Canadian Junior Championships was held in Saskatoon from Aug. 3 to 6. Brad, from the Highlands LBC in Edmonton, placed 6th out of 10 competitors and played outstanding bowls for his first year at the nationals. His coach at the event, Pat Bird, had a lot of praise for how Brad carried himself and for how well he played!
The junior championship was followed by a two day Forster Lang Pairs event where juniors and U 25 players were paired off. Brad and his partner from BC, Pricilla Westlake, took the bronze medal!
The Junior players also played in a fun pairs event called the Pituley Invitational Money Pairs. Brad and his partner Owen Kirby, from ON, won!! They shared a prize pool of $380. Not too shabby!
And we still aren’t finished with reporting Brad’s experiences! Brad was also selected to receive the Junior Sportsmanship award. What an honor for him!
Coach Cecilia Gillespie, along with the other members of Highland Lawn Bowling Club, couldn’t be prouder of Brad!
Alberta Mixed Pairs Playdowns — Commonwealth LBC, Edmonton — Aug. 7-9
Congratulations to the medalists!
Mixed Pairs
| Gold | Pat Bird & Claire Day |
|---|---|
| Silver | Greg Dolsky & Jan Robinson |
| Bronze | Greg Wilson & Amanda Berg |
Left to Right: Pat Bird & Claire Day
The playdowns consisted of 20 teams and there were many very close competitive games! Tough to get out of your division first of all, topped by a great final game. It was tied after 17 ends! A special thank you to Glen Mossman and his side kick, Shawn, for ensuring we had great greens to play on!
Congratulations to the Gold Medalists of the Provincial Mixed Pairs Playdowns! They will represent Alberta at the Canadian National Mixed Pairs Championship being held in Fredericton, NB, September 14 – 19!
Alberta Senior Triples Playdowns — Lethbridge Lawn Bowling Club, July 24-26
Congratulations to the medalists!
Women
| Gold | Peggy Plathan, Pat Vos, Patricia Walker |
|---|---|
| Silver | Betty Mertens, Angela Lussier, Sharon Brunelle |
| Bronze | Helen McCrady, Margaret Bruce, Vera Eddy |
Men
| Gold | Brian Ranger, Paul Maskell, Jim Berry |
|---|---|
| Silver | Robert Rodzinyak, Dave Cox, Keith Wylie |
| Bronze | Dave Simpson, Dick Ryder, George Hamilton |
Left to Right: Peggy Plathan, Pat Vos, Patricia Walker
Left to Right: Jim Berry, Brian Ranger, Paul Maskell
Congratulations to the Gold and Silver Medalists of the Provincial Senior Triples Playdowns! They will represent Alberta at the Canadian National Senior Triples Championships being held in Richmond, BC, August 27 – September 2.
Alberta Triples Playdowns — Commonwealth Lawn Bowling Club, Edmonton, July 17-19
Congratulations to the medalists!
Women
| Gold | Cecilia Gillespie, Gayell Slater, Cathy Wieliczko |
|---|---|
| Silver | Rosina Toal, Margaret Bruce, Dixie Blackmore |
| Bronze | Taeko Tobari, June Ji, Shannon Ross Watson |
Men
| Gold | Roy Riege, Paul Maskell, Keith Johnson |
|---|---|
| Silver | Dave Simpson, Dick Ryder, George Hamilton |
| Bronze | Marvin Kwan, Tony Spencer, Brad Roden |
Left to Right: Gayell Slater, Cecilia Gillespie, Cathy Wieliczko
Left to Right: Keith Johnson, Roy Riege, Paul Maskell
Congratulations to the Gold Medalists of the Triples Playdowns! They will represent Alberta at the Canadian National Championships being held in North York, Ontario, August 16 – 22.
Provincial Medicine Hat Memorial Triples gets media attention!
On July 17 a bus load of 42 members of the Royal Lawn Bowling Club went down to the “Hat” to attend the 1st Annual Medicine Hat Memorial Triples Tournament. An additional team from Lethbridge, along with the three teams from the Hat, made up the 14 teams that competed over the weekend. Not only was a ‘great time had by all’, but the event sparked some renewed enthusiasm for our sport. Check out this news clip!
Medicine Hat Memorial Triples — Medicine Hat Lawn Bowling Club, July 18-19
Congratulations to the trophy winners!
Mixed Triples
| Div. 1 | Al McGarty, Esther Rodzinyak, Robert Rodzinyak |
|---|---|
| Div. 2 | Anne McDonald, Merv Cleasby, Sue Davison |
| Div. 3 | Inabelle Lutz, Dennis Seher, Barb Stoez |
Al McGarty, Esther Rodzinyak, Robert Rodzinyak
Anne McDonald, Merv Cleasby, Sue Davison
Inabelle Lutz, Dennis Seher, Barb Stoez
Tournament Participants
Close to 50 players rolled off in the 1st Memorial Triples event. The success of the event could be the start of a great annual tradition! Many thanks to the members from the Royal and Medicine Hat Lawn Bowling Clubs that helped organize the tournament.
Alberta Pairs Playdowns — Commonwealth Lawn Bowling Club, Edmonton, July 3-5
Congratulations to the medalists!
Women
| Gold | Claire Day, Amanda Berg |
|---|---|
| Silver | Pauline Wong, Joanna Cooper |
| Bronze | Not played |
Men
| Gold | Greg Wilson, Derek Dillon |
|---|---|
| Silver | Roy Riege, Keith Johnson |
| Bronze | Jessi Wilkinson, Harley Lawrence |
Left to Right: Claire Day, Amanda Berg
Left to Right: Derek Dillon, Greg Wilson
Congratulations to the Gold Medalists of the Pairs Playdowns! They will represent Alberta at the Canadian National Championships being held in North York, Ontario, August 16 – 22.
Alberta Fours Playdowns — Rotary Park Lawn Bowling Club, Calgary, June 26-28
Congratulations to the medalists!
Women
| Gold | Peggy Plathan, Sharon Brunelle, Betty Mertens, Patricia Walker |
|---|---|
| Silver | Cecilia Gillespie, Gayell Slater, Jan Robinson, Patricia Vos |
| Bronze | Rosina Toal, Julie Ford, Cathy Wieliczko, Dixie Blackmore |
Men
| Gold | Lyall Adams, Pat Bird, Dave Cox, Peter Mok |
|---|---|
| Silver | Greg Wilson, Derek Dillon, Ken Olsvik, Don Blair |
| Bronze | Dave Simpson, Dick Ryder, Leon Dallas, George Hamilton |
Left to Right: Patricia Walker, Betty Mertens, Sharon Brunelle, Peggy Plathan
Left to Right: Lyall Adams, Dave Cox, Peter Mok, Pat Bird
Congratulations to the Gold Medalists of the Fours Playdowns! They will represent Alberta at the Canadian National Championships being held in North York, Ontario, August 16 – 22.
Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) Phase 2 work is almost complete
We acknowledge the valuable support we have received from Alberta Sport Connection for our LTAD work. Our grant for the Phase 1 work helped us become very familiar with the BCB LTAD model and then determine our needs in Alberta for our clubs & athletes and our bowling program.
Phase 2 work began early in 2014 and our focus in this phase was to identify and provide resources for member clubs, athletes, coaches and umpires. We began with helping our coaches understand the BCB LTAD model and how we would shape this for use in Alberta. As well we provided a Club Coach binder of information for all the clubs to use in introducing new members to lawn bowls back in the spring of 2014.
Then with Bowls Canada Boulingrin providing the new National Officials Program last summer and revamping the Club Coach Course this past winter the opportunity to create and distribute new resources was very timely. We’ve also held courses/sessions so we have 16 new club coaches and 4 new umpires across the province.
The purchase of the Junior Jack Attack Kits was also funded by the Alberta Sport Connection LTAD grant. One kit is available in Calgary by contacting Heather Mackie, and the other kit in Edmonton is available from the LBAA office. The Jr. Jack Attack program has already been used to introduce 400 children to our sport in Cold Lake and Lac La Biche in May.
We give thanks to those that have served on the LTAD Committee or a working club throughout this second phase of work: Cecilia Gillespie, Val Wilson, Claire Day, Dixie Blackmore, Greg Dolsky, Heather Mackie, Dave Simpson, Jenny Macdonald, Pat Clermont , Barb Johnston and Melisa Keast.
We acknowledge the grant received from:
Look for further resources available on our website soon!
- drills and score cards development of skills
- three lesson guide for club coaches & new bowlers
- resources available for purchase from LBAA
- list of videos to explore to help improve your game strategies
- games to watch and learn from
New Club Coach Graduates in Edmonton (June 2015)
Introducing the 6 new Club Coaches in Alberta! 4 are from Highlands LBC, 1 from Commonwealth LBC, and 1 from Royal LBC. The NCCP & BCB club coach course was taken Friday evening and all day Saturday, June 5 & 6. Five current coaches joined the group on Saturday for a refresher course to help them as they continue to coach and now mentor the new coaches!
We are thankful for the grant support we receive for this course from the Coaching Association of Canada and Investors Group.
New Club Coach Graduates in Calgary (May 2015)
Introducing the 12 new Club Coaches in Alberta! 6 are from Bow Valley LBC, 2 from Calgary LBC, 2 from Stanley Park LBC, 1 from Lethbridge LBC and 1 from a small Senior Centre club in Calgary. The 8 hour NCCP & BCB course is a challenge to finish in an evening and one day workshop but all the participants slugged through. The course helped prepare the coaches to introduce new bowlers to our great sport!
We are thankful for the grant support we receive for this course from the Coaching Association of Canada and Investors Group.
Commonwealth Lawn Bowling Club will Host 2016 Majors
Bowls Canada Boulingrin is excited to announce that the Commonwealth Lawn Bowling Club will be the host of the Canadian Lawn Bowling Championships in Edmonton in August 2016. 180 athletes will compete in pairs, triples and fours during the week long competition. (Exact dates for the event have yet to be determined.)
The Commonwealth Lawn Bowling Club in Edmonton proudly hosted the 1978 Commonwealth bowls tournament and was honoured to have Queen Elizabeth observe the Games. The club has also had the privilege of hosting many Provincial Tournaments as well as previous National events including the 2014 Singles Championship and the 2010 Majors.
Alberta Members of Team Canada Attend Camp
Three of Alberta’s high performance bowlers, Amanda Berg, Pat Bird and Alfred Wallace, attended the Canadian Team Training Camp in April 2015. The camp was held at the Pacific Indoor Club in Vancouver, BC and was attended by members of both the senior and development national squads.
To quote Pat, “Training at PIBC provided a fast surface to help our players prepare for upcoming international events on the faster greens of the Southern Hemisphere, including the Asia Pacific Championships in Christchurch NZ in November 2015, which is Canada’s qualifying event for the 2016 World Championships”.
Tony Spencer to Promote Junior Program
The Board of Directors is pleased to appoint Tony Spencer (LBAA Past President) as the Junior Program Provincial Coordinator. For ideas and information to get Juniors active at your club contact Tony at juniorbowls@bowlsalberta.com.
3 Alberta players named to the 2015-16 Canadian Squads!
Congratulations to Amanda Berg, Pat Bird and Alfred Wallace for being named to the National Team Squads. For information regarding all the team members see the link on the Bowls Canada Boulingrin website:
Bowls Canada National Squad Announcement.
Alberta player and guide off to New Zealand
Vivian Kwan and her guide, Marvin (also her son!) are off to Wellington, New Zealand to participate in the International Bowls for Disabled World Championships held February 16 – 27. We wish them a wonderful time as they travel down under!
They are part of a larger Canadian team participating with bowlers from around the world. Go, Vivian go! Go, Canada go!
