Please See the President's Messages & IMPORTANT Play Information
Get In Touch: +1 (780) 690-5004
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
November 12, 2022
I got the news today regarding Charlie Loiselle’s “Leaving the Planet Party.” It will be held at the Ottewell Curling Club from 1 to 4pm on Friday, November 25. This is a very appropriate venue for this event. Thank you Ottewell Curling Club. Come to the party and celebrate the life of our founder.
Please check out his Obituary by double clicking on this blue hot link or copy and paste into your browser. www.trinityfuneralhome.ca/obituary/charles-charlie-etienne-loiselle/
Also we will be having a GESA Board meeting on November 29th. If you have ideas or suggestions that you would like us to consider, .please submit them to my email address as below.
Wally Bentt wbentt@telusplanet.net
President 780 690-5004
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
November 4, 2022
Today I must relay the sad news that Charlie Loiselle passed away peacefully at 6:30pm on Wednesday evening, November 2nd. He did not get the “Leaving the Planet Party,” that he talked to me about. The shuffleboard community in Canada and Arizona will miss him dearly!
Charlie was a guy who got things done, even if he had to jump in and do most of it himself! This was evidenced by his starting out of The Greater Edmonton Shuffleboard Association (GESA)! He seen a need, dug deep, and got things going with a loan of his own money to the club to get it started. And he volunteered countless hours to do whatever was needed to make our club the Premier Shuffleboard Facility in Canada. He was a leader who led by showing us how, by doing! I want to thank you Charlie for being my mentor and friend!
Check your newspaper for news on funeral arrangements.
Wally Bentt wbentt@telusplanet.net
President 780 690-5004
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
October 29, 2022
I have some very sad news to pass on to you from Charlie Loiselle, our Founder and Former President.
“ Hi Gang!
I have been in the hospital now for more than two weeks and have been diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. The prognosis’s is that it is very painful and has a low survival rate. I have been given a short time to live. They are keeping me happy and high by giving me large doses of Dilaudid. I’m in the Misericordia Community Hospital and have also picked up the CoVid 19 virus, so no visitors allowed. Stay tuned for further messages which I will relay through Wally Bentt! Charlie Loiselle ”
I’ve been on the phone with Charlie a few times but he wanted me to keep everything quiet until he had more facts. He is managing this news with positivity and humour and he is the same old Charlie. He also wanted me to ask you all to respect his privacy and avoid blowing up his phone with texts and phone calls. I will relay more news as it comes.
Wally Bentt wbentt@telusplanet.net
President 780 690-5004
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
August 20, 2022
Good Day!
If you haven’t checked your calendar lately, we are into the dog days of summer and the end of our shuffleboard season. When you come to play on Tuesday you will see a much different look at our courts. Lanes 1 to 12 have been removed and placed in storage. This breaks up the workload very nicely for those volunteers who are removing the courts in preparation for the installation of the curling ice. Thursday morning, August 25th at 10am will be the last game of the year.
The seventh Annual General Meeting (AGM) where many important decisions will be made regarding our 2023 season will run at 12:30pm following that last game. Please note the time change to 12:30 from 1pm. This will give ample time for lunch in between, so please plan on attending! We have three people retiring from the Board of Directors and need replacements. Consider stepping forward to volunteer for a Board position!
If you have an item you would like to add to the agenda, please send it directly to me via email to wbentt@telusplanet.netby days end on Tuesday.
We had a rumour going around our club that suggested that the Ottewell Curling Rink is for sale. Rick has assured us that this is definitely not true, so please cease and desist! Rick has hired a new manager for the Ottewell and we are looking forward to meeting and working with him.
At this point I would like to thank all of the volunteers who have checked you in, waxed and/or cleaned your court, maintained and stored our equipment. In addition, a special thanks goes out to the board of directors who have made my life go smoothly!And thanks to all of you, our members, for your support and for getting out and having fun playing this great game. Please go out and promote our game to as many people as you can for the next season.
Wally Bentt wbentt@telusplanet.net
President 780 690-5004
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
July 1, 2022
Howdy All and Happy Canada Day!
Just a quick note!
We will be having a CRAZY FUN DAY on Tuesday, July 12 at 10am. This has gone over big in BC days, (read Before CoVid). We will have special FUN EVENTS that will make you laugh and wonder how all your acquired shuffleboard skills don’t help you at all! You will get a burger lunch and soda included and yes there will be prizes. The cost will be $15/head. For those who don’t want to participate, we will have regular shuffle on the back courts, or you can just sit upstairs and watch all the fun on the front courts. Contact Linda Wozniuk to reserve your spot at <lwozniuk@gmail.com> or call
780 916-2203 or sign up at the front table.
Our mixed Doubles Tournament is set for, July 25 to 28. We will have a happy hour and a delicious Ukrainian Banquet on the afternoon and evening of July 26th. Cost will be $35 per head and the cut-off date for the banquet is July 19th. To reserve your spot in the tournament and/or your seat at the banquet, contact Linda as per the above info.
Happy days are shuffling days!
Wally Bentt wbentt@telusplanet.net
President 780 690-5004
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
June 11, 2022
Howdy Everyone!
We have clear sailing to the end of August. Courts were removed, dog show went on, and then courts were reinstalled. You must all thank the volunteers who did the work to get this accomplished. They included, Dennis McPherson, Karen Johnston, Pat and Kathy Ondrus, Brent Pegg, Dennis Stockman, Diana Monette, Linda Wozniuk, Charlie Loiselle, Wally and Lorna Bentt. We even had two volunteers from Inter Pipeline help out one morning doing community service.
Three of our board members did attend the dog show which was very impressive to say the least. The curling rink, the driving range and areas all around were put to use for this event. Parking was at a premium! They had over 1,000 entries for the judging with many different breeds. As we walked into the show area, we thought we were in the wrong place. It looked like a bunch of black bears, however they turned out to be Bouviers. There were also some breeds that were shaved down to the skin, which to my mind looked pretty ugly! I did get a chance to talk to one of their executives and asked what their plans were for next year. He could not give us specifics as a lot of these shows are scheduled by a national association. Hopefully they won’t have it again, but we can call early next year to find out for sure.
Our Mixed Doubles Tournament is only 5 weeks away. Linda tells me it is filling up fast, so contact Linda Wozniuk ASAP. And remember that the preference is for a mixed team but we can accept a 2 ladies’ team or 2 men’s team as a last resort. Don’t have a partner? No problem, just contact us and we should be able to make arrangements. You can secure your entry by doing an E-transfer to lwozniuk@gmail.com and/or call her at 780 916-2203 for other arrangements. And yes, we will have a banquet with a Ukrainian dinner.
Your board had a recent meeting and selected the date of August 25 at 1pm for the Annual General Meeting (AGM). If you have ideas or items for the agenda, please forward them to myself at the email address or phone number below.
So, get out there and shuffle, starting Tuesday, June 14 at 10am.
Wally Bentt wbentt@telusplanet.net
President 780 690-5004
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE – May 26, 2022
Howdy Everyone!
We have all gone to the dogs! I’m sorry, but because of the dog show at the Ottewell, there will be No shuffleboard until Tuesday, June 14th at 10aM. I understand that the dog show is free of charge so it may be something that you would like to check out! It runs Friday thru Sunday June 3 to 5. Taking the courts and equipment up and then putting it back down again is a huge project. So, thanks to all our volunteers for chipping in and sharing the workload. I would also like to thank the volunteers who do the daily waxing and court cleanup!
In case you missed it, we had a very successful Singles Tournament. A thank you goes out to Kathy Ondrus and Diana Monette who opted out to make this a perfect draw. And a very special thank you goes to Pat Ondrus who opted out to be our Draw Master. He did a fabulous job on his first kick at the cat!
And speaking of tournaments, our Mixed Doubles is coming up July 25 to 28. Linda tells me it is filling up fast, so contact Linda Wozniuk ASAP. You can secure your entry by doing an E-transfer to lwozniuk@gmail.com and/or call her at 780 916-2203 for other arrangements.
We are still looking to boost our member numbers so please pass the word around. I personally have brought in several members into the club, but I just want to tell you how easy it is to do. I’m sweating away at the gym one morning when I bumped into Mel Kornfeld. He had a wrap around his knee, and I asked him what was up with that. He said it was from Pickle Ball. I told him about our game and the $5 drop-in fee, and he showed up the next morning for lessons. After one more drop in, he was hooked. Be nice to Mel. He is an enthused beginner so take it easy on him!
We had 64 Singles Tournament entries and the winners are as below. The picture does not include Claire Embury or Brian Fitzpatrick (3rd and 4th in the A event) who opted to head home early and Vickey Siler (2nd in B event).
Wally Bentt wbentt@telusplanet.net
President 780 690-5004
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
May 14, 2022
Singles Tournament Time!
Charlie Loiselle is the Tournament Director and Head Referee. His rulings on calls shall be final. He will always be fair!
Pat Ondrus has volunteered to opt out of the tournament to act as the Draw Master. The computer printout will direct you to the where you will play and who your opponent will be. A huge thank you to Pat!
For those players who wish to practice before the tournament we will have Sunday, May 15 available from 1pm till 4pm.
Please completely TURN OFF your cell phones before and during play. An incoming call will cost you a ten-point penalty each time. If you absolutely must have your phone on for medical or other reasons, please ask the tournament director for an exemption and let your opponent know about such exemption before play begins.
The Schedule of Play Please come early before play times.
Day 1 Monday -10am Everyone Plays
Monday - 1:30pm Everyone Plays
Day 2 Tuesday - 10am Everyone Plays
Tuesday - 2pm Everyone Plays
Day 3 Wednesday -10am Everyone Plays who is still in the tournament
Wednesday -1pm Everyone Plays who is still in the tournament
Wednesday - 3pm Some D event players may have to play a 3rd game
Day 4 Thursday - 10am The Final Games
Between 11:30 and Noon Prize Presentation and Pictures will take place.
For those not in the tournament who would like to play friendly shuffle, we will have courts available for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 10am.
Good Luck and thank you for attending.
Wally Bentt, President, 780 690-5004 or wbentt@telusplanet.net
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Singles Tournament Time!
For those players who wish to practice before the tournament we will have Sunday, May 15 from 1pm till 4pm available. The tournament will be the A, B, C, D 4 event configuration with a 4-game guarantee. All games will start on Monday, May 16th at 9am. Come early!
For those with self-contained RVs, dry camping will be permitted on the east side of the building. Please do not block any of the regular parking spots, and no one should park against the west fence as those spots are reserved for driving range patrons.
We’re sorry, but we were rushed to make arrangements for the banquet and the concession. There will be none! We will have Timmy’s coffee, muffins or doughnuts available for sale in the morning for a fee. Be sure to bring small change for that as we won’t have the ability to make change for $100 bills should you be lucky enough to have some in your wallet. We will be having a banquet at our upcoming July doubles tournament.
We have had inquiries about those great looking, top quality, black and gold polo shirts, and hats with the embroidered GESA logo. We have pricing at $45 for the shirts and $20 for the hats. If you care to get in the spirit, please order with Collette Carlisle specifying your gender and size.
Thanks All and Happy Shuffling!
Wally Bentt
President
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Howdy All. We Are Back In Business!
Thanks to our volunteers, the 24 courts are all in place and we have completed our first week of play. Those volunteers included Kathy and Pat Ondrus, Collette and Rick Carlisle, Karen Johnston, Charlie Loiselle, Dennis McPherson, Jim Baumgardner, Norm Demaere, and myself. It was great to be back shuffling and seeing old friends.
We have picked up some new members over the week and are looking for more. So tell your family, friends and neighbours that WE ARE BACK! We‘re looking forward to seeing many of our past members who have not re-signed as of yet. The season is brand new, so feel free to drop in and join in the fun. Our schedule is the same as last year. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10am for a 16-frame game and 12:30pm for a 12-frame game. And of course, we still have the Thursday evening session at 7:00 pm. Keep up to date on our website: shufflewithgesa.ca.
And just a quick reminder that it is only 2 weeks from today that we will be launching our singles tournament. It looks like we will have a good turnout for this, so sign up soon with Linda Wozniuk at 780 916-2203. You can even pay for it with an e-transfer. Cut off date for entries is Tuesday, May 10th.
Thanks all!
Wally Bentt
President
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Singles Tournament Time! For those players who wish to practice before the tournament we will have Sunday, May 15 from 1pm till 4pm available. The tournament will be the A, B, C, D 4 event configuration with a 4-game guarantee. All games will start on Monday, May 16th at 9am. Come early! For those with self-contained RVs, dry camping will be permitted on the east side of the building. Please do not block any of the regular parking spots, and no one should park against the west fence as those spots are reserved for driving range patrons. We’re sorry, but we were rushed to make arrangements for the banquet and the concession. There will be none! We will have Timmy’s coffee, muffins or doughnuts available for sale in the morning for a fee. Be sure to bring small change for that as we won’t have the ability to make change for $100 bills should you be lucky enough to have some in your wallet. We will be having a banquet at our upcoming July doubles tournament. We have had inquiries about those great looking, top quality, black and gold polo shirts, and hats with the embroidered GESA logo. We have pricing at $45 for the shirts and $20 for the hats. If you care to get in the spirit, please order with Collette Carlisle specifying your gender and size. Thanks All and Happy Shuffling! Wally Bentt President
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Howdy All and Welcome Back!
Everything is looking good for our 2022 season. Now that the pandemic seems to be winding down, we are looking forward to a fabulous summer of shuffleboard. I personally really missed playing, as Lorna and I opted to stay home in Alberta this winter. And what a winter it has been! Everything was nice until mid November and then all hell broke loose. It has been a long time since we’ve had so much snow and ice. There were very few days that I could actually walk outside without my ice cleats on. We did keep up on some of our shooting skills though by playing floor curling twice a week at Sherwood Park’s 55 Plus Club.
The Ottewell ice plant will be turned off April 2 and we anticipate needing volunteers to get everything ready for the season starting in mid April. If you get a call from Pat Ondrus to help with the courts, or Diana Monette for duty at the front desk, please don’t hesitate to step forward. It is volunteers like you and I that make this whole thing work so well.
One of my goals for this season is to increase our memberships beyond pre-pandemic numbers. It really is up to each and every one of us to promote this game and our fabulous facility. Where else could you find 24 indoor courts with plush carpets everywhere, and the planet’s most friendly folks to play? You all know how much fun shuffleboard is, so tell your neighbours, family, friends, and yes, we will even accept your enemies. Tell them that for about the price of one game of golf, they can play as often as they like ALL SUMMER LONG! Or if they are just beginning, they can do the drop-in fee of $5. If they drop-in twice and wish to become a member, we will deduct $10 from the annual fee. Be sure to direct them to our website, shufflewithgesa.ca for more information, or they can call me anytime at 780 690-5004.
And if you haven’t heard all the news yet, we should tell you about our tournament schedule. May 16 to 19 will be our Singles Tournament and July 25 to 28 will be our Mixed Doubles Tournament. We have frozen entry fees at $35 per person for these two. And, drum roll please, we will be hosting a Super Cash Singles Tournament June 27 to 29. The entry fee for this may seem a bit high at $300, but the top prize of $2,500.00 sounds enticing. This event is something that our Past President, Charlie Loiselle has been dreaming about for years. If you wish to sign up for any of these tournaments please contact Linda Wozniuk at 780 916-2203. You can text or call to have your name added to a wait-list. Once you are paid up you will have a confirmed spot. And yes, regular shuffle play will still go on during these events.
And now, for the important information! We will be having a drop-in pre-registration event on April 25 from 10am to 1pm at the Ottewell. There will be no play that day, only registration. This avoids a big traffic jam on game days. Tuesday morning April 26 will be our first day of play. If you can’t make the pre-registration day, come at least a half hour early on any morning that we are there. Play will be every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 10am. Come early to register and draw a chip to see who your opponent will be. The games will be 16 frames in the morning and then a 12 frame game starting at 12:30. And we will also have a 16 frame game Thursday evenings at 7pm. As a member you can do every game or select just the ones that suit you!
Come out and reunite with your GESA friends. Let’s shuffle!
Wally Bentt President