The Parksville Lawn Bowling Club was home to the Canadian National Mixed Pairs Championship September 7-13. Spectators, including a busload of fans from Victoria, were treated to some of the very best lawn bowling as bowlers vied for top title.
Perfect weather, great greens and exceptional shot making were all part of the week’s matches. By Friday it was clear that it was going to be an all west play down. Saskatchewan’s Keith and Jean Roney went up against the B.C. “B” team of Lisa Cheung and Stephen Yung of the Richmond Lawn Bowling Club. Cheung and Yung prevailed to take the bronze medal.
The gold medal game, held Saturday afternoon, saw British Columbia’s team “A” of Christie Grahame and Marlene Cleutinx meet the Alberta team of Heather Mackie and Pat Bird. At one point in the game the score was 12-1 for B.C, and a blowout appeared imminent.
However, the Alberta team dug deep and found its legs midway through the eighteen end game and pulled within three. They were denied in the final end, only being able to score one point. The Grahame/Cleutinx team prevailed and took first place and the gold medal.
The closing ceremonies saw the medal winners, umpires and volunteers of the club piped onto the green by the 2422 Canadian Scottish Regiment of the Princess Mary’s Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps. Mary Wright of Bowls Canada officially closed the games, thanking the club for all their hard work to make the games the great success that they were.