Two local seniors, Sally Rowat and Janice Eger, are going to be busy in the month of August.

Qualifying for the Canadian Senior Games in Duplicate Bridge,  the pair will be heading to Brockville August 24 to 28 to compete against the rest of the country.

As competitors for District 1A, which encompasses Dryden, Kenora and Fort Frances areas, the team took second place two years ago in the Provincial competition, earning them a place in the national games which is only held every two years.

The card playing pair also began competing again this year in the Northwestern Ontario division, earning them another spot in the provincial tournaments for this year.  The provincial games, named Actifest, will be held in Oshawa on August 9 to 13.

“We prefer to play duplicate bridge because we feel it has more skill and you can defend better.  In contract bridge, a lot of it is the cards you get.  You can only do as well as the cards you’re dealt,” says Rowat.

With no financial assistance from the Canada Senior Games Association, the team is responsible for all costs of travel, accommodations and meals.  The city of Dryden sponsored the team with $200 to assist with their expenses, and the ladies have approached various other organizations to assist with the costs.

As the first team from Dryden to compete in the Canadian Games, the team is looking forward to the opportunities to network and get more involved.

Other events held during the Canadian Games include golf, cribbage, curling, 5-pin bowling, swimming, track and field, hockey, duplicate bridge, Scrabble, slo pitch, tennis, darts, floor shuffleboard, horseshoes, eight-ball, table tennis, mini-marathon, lawn bowling, badminton, triathlon, and archery.