Strathmore Legion to host regional cribbage tournament

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 10 in Strathmore will be hosting the annual Alberta/Northwest Territories Command Cribbage Tournament, Feb. 2-3. 

Roughly 100 players are anticipated to attend, coming from branches across Alberta and the Northwest Territories, all competing for the opportunity to represent the region at the Dominion National Tournament at Branch 33 in New Brunswick. 

“You have to have a branch playoff and a district playoff in order to advance to the command level,” said Sylvia Westgard, speaking on behalf of the Strathmore Legion. 

Westgard explained legions within each respective region must bid for the opportunity every year to host the annual event. This will be the eighth time she has been involved in hosting this particular event. 

Cribbage is a game played with a 52-card standard deck of playing cards, invented in the early 17th century, and was a popular pastime in the military. 

The game is played by finding combinations of cards that add in value to exactly 15, 30, and 31, which scores points. Similarly, points may also be scored for completing pairs, threes, fours, and runs of cards. 

Players will mark their cumulative points on a board, and play will continue until the first person reaches or exceeds 121 points. The game can be adapted for two, three, or four players. 

The tournament at the legion will kick off, Feb. 2, with a colour party march and an opening ceremony prior to games beginning. 

Westgard added only Legion members are permitted to register and participate in the tournament, competing for the opportunity to play nationally. Participating Legion members registered for the tournament in teams of four people.

According to a release distributed by the Strathmore Legion Branch 10, cribbage has long been a favourite game among members in Legion branches across Canada, and has become a competitive event.

The annual Dominion Cribbage Championships were introduced in 1989 in an effort to bring together players from across the country. 

Dominion Legion Command is hosting the 2024 Dominion Convention in Saint John, N.B., Aug. 23-29 this year.