Atlantic Bowls event makes its return in Fredericton

The 48th annual Atlantic Bowls competition wrapped up in Fredericton Sunday after being cancelled last year due to the pandemic. 

The lawn bowling tournament started Friday and included 16 teams from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec and Prince Edward Island.

"It was fantastic, and the rain didn't really interfere with us very much because it rained in the morning Friday and we didn't start playing until the afternoon," said New Brunswick's Pat Beggs, who won three games over the weekend. 

The teams from Quebec dominated the tournament and took home the Sid Currie Memorial Trophy.

Some aspects of the tournament had to be trimmed down because of COVID-19, said Beggs, also the president of the Fredericton lawn bowling club. 

"We just scaled things down to make it a bit simpler," he said. "We had 48 players here this year but typically at Atlantic Bowls championship there's 80 players."

They usually have teams consisting of pairs, as well as a larger opening ceremony. 

"Normally we would have a bagpiper who would lead in the teams with their flags, and they would line up on the green," said co-chair Patricia Albert. "And we'd usually have officials from the province or city there who would give two or three minutes of speech." 

There are two other lawn bowling clubs in New Brunswick, which includes the Seaside in Saint John and the Centennial in Moncton. 

Albert said she's eager for more people to join the Fredericton club. 

"We're always open to receiving new members," she said. "You don't have to be a senior, children from the age of 10, 12 years old can play, as long as they can bowl. We have juniors, we have all ages that can play."