The Communications Work Group of the ACBL BOD’s Governance Committee has produced the first edition of the National Director Report which can be downloaded here.
The Work Group comprises Cindy Shoemaker (Chair), D17D; David Johnson, D18D; and Tim White, D19D.
Shelley Burns of North Vancouver BC and Kelvin Raywood of Vancouver BC win the 0–5000 IMP Pairs.
Read the full story on the NAOBC Daily Bulletin.
John Lai of Vancouver BC and Morris Chen of Surrey BC, representing District 19, 
won the Golder North American Pairs, Flight B with an impressive score of 63.94%.
Read the full story on the NAOBC Daily Bulletin.
Tim White, ACBL D19 Director, has sent us a letter detailing ACBL’s plans for a reopening of face-to-face bridge. This is a must-read document for tournament organizers, Unit boards, club owners and players who want an update on the current situation.
Click here to access Tim’s letter.
For more information, you can reach Tim at trkwhite@gmail.com
The Canadian National Institute for the Blind is putting on a fundraising bridge game, Bridging Barriers Charity Game. Here’s a chance to contribute to a worthy cause while enjoying your favourite game. And note that you don’t need to live in Canada* to play!
The cost is $50, eligible for an income tax receipt for the whole amount.
* Note: Everyone is eligible for prizes but tax receipts are of use to Canadian taxpayers only.
This spring we will roll out a new semi-annual newsletter. Our target date for the inaugural issue is late April 2021. It will be web-based and hosted on our website (d19.org). We will send out an email to all D19 members (at least the ones with email addresses) advising when each new issue is posted. In addition to highlighting player achievements and updates from the District, we look forward to having challenging hands to review, news from the local Units and more. Anyone have any good bridge jokes they want to share? We welcome your submissions, suggestions and ideas of all types. Please email them to: D19news@mail.com
The following District 19 Regional Tournaments have been cancelled for 2021: Victoria (originally scheduled for April), Penticton (June) and Lynwood (August).
Whistler is still in the cards, so to speak, and could be held at the end of October or the beginning of November. A final decision will be made by D19’s Board no later than the end of May.
Here’s ACBL Executive Director Joseph Jones’s full text:
Due to the ongoing risk posed by the surging coronavirus and the slow rollout of the vaccine, the ACBL will not staff face-to-face bridge tournaments through April 30, 2021.
This means all Sectionals and Regionals scheduled during this period have been canceled. Consistent with this decision, the ACBL is also canceling the sanctions for any remaining Non-Life Master Tournaments or other bridge tournaments through the end of April where ACBL Tournament Directors are not technically required.
We will contact you by March 1 if the moratorium will be extended past April 30.
Online events, including Regional-rated tournaments, will continue to be offered along with chances to win gold, silver, red and black masterpoints®. Click here for the 2021 schedule of online events. More details can be found at www.acbl.org/virtual.
Sincerely,
Joseph Jones
ACBL Executive Director
January 12, 2021
The District 19 Board of Directors is doing its best to navigate the challenges and uncertainties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Board members are monitoring developments in policies and guidance from national, regional and local government authorities in Canada and US, and the ACBL. We review, discuss and evaluate implications and plans for D19-sponsored events going forward. We will keep D19 membership apprised of developments as they take place. Please see below an update on upcoming events:
D19 Burnaby Regional (April 6-12, 2020) – Notice of cancellation of this tournament was provided to D19 membership via email on March 17, 2020.
D19 Grand National Teams (GNT) Finals – The D19 GNT Finals scheduled for April 18 & 19 at the Vancouver Bridge Centre are cancelled. The D19 Board is exploring recovery plans for this event. The ACBL Board of Directors has re-scheduled the North American GNT Finals from NABC Montreal in July to NABC Tampa this fall. (ACBL will be establishing the dates of the GNT Finals to be held at Tampa.) Districts are now given until October 1, 2020 to hold their district GNT Finals. The D19 Board is exploring the alternatives of running this event face-2-face, as it has been, or online. More information on plans for D19 GNT Finals will be announced when it becomes available.
D19 Penticton Regional (June 15-21, 2020) – At present, this tournament is still “on.” Financial and other considerations bearing on the decision whether to proceed with the tournament are under review. The D19 Board will further discuss the situation during its telephonic board meeting the week of April 21. We expect to make a final decision about Penticton no later than May 1.
ACBL’s North American NAP Finals – Last fall’s 2019 D19 NAP Finals qualified pairs for ACBL’s North American NAP Finals that were to have been held at the cancelled NABC Columbus. To recover the North American NAP Finals, the ACBL Board of Directors has decided that the event will take place at NABC Montreal in July. (ACBL will be establishing the dates of the NAP Finals to be held at Montreal.) If NABC Montreal were to be cancelled, the event would then be down streamed to NABC Tampa and run on dates not to conflict with the GNT Finals to be held at Tampa. The D19 NAP Coordinator will continue to coordinate plans with pairs who qualified last fall for the North American NAP Finals.
We regret the impacts this situation is having on clubs, units and players. We will continue to look and plan ahead in pursuit of the best available plans under the circumstances.
Thank you for your understanding,
D19 Board of Directors
The District 19 Board of Directors is doing its best to navigate the challenges and uncertainties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Board members are monitoring developments in policies and guidance from national, regional and local government authorities in Canada and US, and the ACBL. We review, discuss and evaluate implications and plans for D19-sponsored events going forward. We will keep D19 membership apprised of developments as they take place. Please see below an update on upcoming events:
D19 Burnaby Regional (April 6-12, 2020) – Notice of cancellation of this tournament was provided to D19 membership via email on March 17, 2020.
D19 Grand National Teams (GNT) Finals – The D19 GNT Finals scheduled for April 18 & 19 at the Vancouver Bridge Centre are cancelled. The D19 Board is exploring recovery plans for this event. The ACBL Board of Directors has re-scheduled the North American GNT Finals from NABC Montreal in July to NABC Tampa this fall. (ACBL will be establishing the dates of the GNT Finals to be held at Tampa.) Districts are now given until October 1, 2020 to hold their district GNT Finals. The D19 Board is exploring the alternatives of running this event face-2-face, as it has been, or online. More information on plans for D19 GNT Finals will be announced when it becomes available.
D19 Penticton Regional (June 15-21, 2020) – At present, this tournament is still “on.” Financial and other considerations bearing on the decision whether to proceed with the tournament are under review. The D19 Board will further discuss the situation during its telephonic board meeting the week of April 21. We expect to make a final decision about Penticton no later than May 1.
ACBL’s North American NAP Finals – Last fall’s 2019 D19 NAP Finals qualified pairs for ACBL’s North American NAP Finals that were to have been held at the cancelled NABC Columbus. To recover the North American NAP Finals, the ACBL Board of Directors has decided that the event will take place at NABC Montreal in July. (ACBL will be establishing the dates of the NAP Finals to be held at Montreal.) If NABC Montreal were to be cancelled, the event would then be down streamed to NABC Tampa and run on dates not to conflict with the GNT Finals to be held at Tampa. The D19 NAP Coordinator will continue to coordinate plans with pairs who qualified last fall for the North American NAP Finals.
We regret the impacts this situation is having on clubs, units and players. We will continue to look and plan ahead in pursuit of the best available plans under the circumstances.
Thank you for your understanding,
D19 Board of Directors
