Victoria will be well-represented at the World Bridge Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which run from Tuesday to Nov. 3 and will bring together more than 1,000 duplicate bridge players from around the globe.
Local competitors Michael Roche, who has earned the bridge title of grand life master and is in the Canadian Bridge Hall of Fame, and Daniel Lyder will be a team in the open event, while Gord McOrmond and Mike Hargreaves are on the senior team.
Non-playing captain James McAvoy, also a grand life master, will be sharing the experience he has garnered from representing Canada at six world championships.
Thirty-five-year-old Lyder, who manages the Penny Farthing Pub, is the youngest team member.
“I played poker and other card games before I discovered bridge,” Lyder said. “What attracted me to bridge was the fluidity of the game and the focus on strategy. It is a game with tremendous scope, honing analytic skills and developing trust with partners.”
He said that bridge is recognized as a sport in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France and the Netherlands, with bridge and chess the only “mind sports” recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
Lyder said the goal in bridge is “playing in tempo with your partner, being in sync as the opponents present their hands.”
“Counting cards, anticipating a move and intuitively knowing what may play out creates an atmosphere of concentration that is deeply engaging,” he said. “And if you play well, and on top of it win, it is very rewarding.”
Lyder and Roche have been putting in a lot of pre-event practice, which can include using software to deal trial hands to prepare for a variety of situations.
The World Bridge Championships are held every two years.
Bat party, anyone?
Amid Halloween-related images of bats as spooky, blood-sucking creatures, the Southern Vancouver Island Community Bat Program is trying to set the record straight about B.C.’s 15 species of bats.
For one thing, bats are major insect predators, and provide millions of dollars worth of natural pest control that helps forestry and agriculture, the group says.
To mark International Bat Week — which starts Thursday and runs through Halloween — it suggests holding a Bat Week Party or other special event to get others excited about bats.
“You can feature bat-themed games or trivia, a bat costume contest, and foods and drinks in the shape of moths, mosquitoes, or other insects, as this is what our bats eat here,” said program co-ordinator Julianna Laposa-Wilde
Laposa-Wilde said most female bats have only one pup per summer, and all bats face many threats to their survival.
One of those threats is white-nose syndrome, a fungus that affects them during hibernation, which typically happens at this time of year — making it the ideal time to clean out home bat boxes.
White-nose syndrome doesn’t affect humans or other animals, but has killed millions of bats in eastern North America.
Laposa-Wilde said people can help monitor bat populations by keeping an eye out for winter bat activity or dead bats. “If you find one, report it.” (You can report dead bats online at bcbats.ca, call 1-855-922-2287 ext. 12, or email [email protected].)
The program is working with provincial government biologists to collect and test dead bats in an effort to detect white-nose syndrome, which has not yet been found in B.C, but has turned up in Alberta and the Seattle area.
People are cautioned to never touch a bat with their bare hands or to let pets touch them.
The bat program, which is active around the province, operates in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, and is funded by the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. and the Habitat Stewardship Program.
For more information, go to batweek.org.
Three Langford initiatives
The City of Langford is looking for input from residents on a trio of initiatives.
Three online surveys are available for the first phase of the Latoria Road active-transportation project, the Construction Impact Management Strategy and the Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan.
The Latoria Road project will fill a need that’s expected to arise when the new SĆIȺNEW̱ SṮEȽIṮḴEȽ Elementary School opens in September 2025, and will be part of the city’s overall Active Transportation Plan.
It’s a three-phase project that will create safe pedestrian and bike routes in south Langford, with the first phase planned to include sidewalks from Triangle Trail to Whimfield Terrace.
The project will be on Monday’s council meeting agenda, with the survey closing Tuesday.
The Construction Impact Management Strategy is being created to address the concerns of residents who live near construction areas. Its aim is to minimize disruptions, keep residents informed and address issues during development.
The survey runs until Nov. 3.
The Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan will help with Langford’s FireSmart program and increase awareness of wildfire risks.
“While important work has been done to date, it is important to take time to reflect on the current plan, make updates and continue to take a proactive approach to community wildfire resiliency,” the city said in a statement.
“The city wants to hear from residents about the impacts caused by wildfire in the community and priorities for wildfire management.”
Take part in the survey through Nov. 10.
Sign up to take part in the surveys at letschatlangford.ca.
Honour for safety effort
Gordon Head Recreation Centre aquatics programmer Wade Thoreson has been recognized with an award from the B.C. Municipal Safety Association.
Thoreson received a Junior Health and Safety Leader Award, with the “junior” designation for those who have been in the health-and-safety field for under five years.
His position puts him in charge of health and safety for more than 100 staff members and the centre’s patrons.
“In addition to his multiple safety, first-aid and training certifications, what truly sets Wade apart is his resourcefulness and his proactive approach to health and safety, identifying potential hazards and implementing preventive measures,” said Suzanne Samborski, director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services in Saanich.
She said Thoreson also took the initiative to reintroduce the Vancouver Island Regional Lifeguard Championships this summer after a six-year lapse, which rekindled interest in lifeguard events in the province.
