NLBC president Frances Tester hopes younger people will show up to their two remaining open houses to see if they'd like to take up the game of lawn bowling. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

heritage organization

‘There is quite a bit of pride:’ Nanaimo Lawn Bowling Club enters 100th year

Apr 21, 2023 | 5:21 AM

NANAIMO — Built on friendship and friendly competition, a local lawn bowling club has stood the test of time in the Harbour City.

It was the spring of 1923 when the Nanaimo Lawn Bowling Club (NLBC) formed in Piper Park, a small green space beside downtown’s present-day Vancouver Island Military Museum.

Today more than 100 members belong to the club based in pristine Bowen Park since the 1960’s.

NLBC president Frances Tester said the sport has a long history throughout the province, with several other clubs beyond 100 years-old.

“B.C. has a lot of English, Scottish and Irish people and they brought the game of bowls with them when they came over from their countries, there’s a lot of history there,” Tester told NanaimoNewsNOW while overseeing the club’s well kept greens.

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NLBC is hosting the second of three open houses this weekend to introduce new people to their club and see if the game would be a good fit for them. People 11-years-old and up are encouraged to wear flat shoes to their Bowen Park venue on Saturday, April 22 and 29 from 1 to 4 p.m. and give the game with the unsymmetrical ball a try.

The Nanaimo Lawn Bowling Club is located next to the Bowen Park Complex at 500 Bowen Rd. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Tester said the NLBC is an integral part of the overall well-being of many of their members.

“Especially for people who are single, who may have lost a partner who was a bowler too, it’s a very important part of our organization.”

Tester, a bowler since the early 90’s and NLBC member since moving to Nanaimo in 2014, pointed out curlers seem to be drawn to the sport as there are similarities between the two sports.

Tester said regional tournaments hosted by NLBC provide opportunities to forge new friendships and enhance existing ones with people throughout the mid Island area and Powell River.

The club is celebrating its centennial anniversary in several ways, including hosting a significant gathering with community dignitaries on Friday, July 21.

Ian Yewer has been a club member since 2019.

He’s hooked and proficient in a sport that he didn’t envision would have such a huge impact on his life.

Yewer said the social aspects of NLBC are “incredible”, while adding it’s nice to have regular friendly competition too.

“When I joined the club I knew nobody here, but within two or three months I knew everybody…They’re all very friendly, welcomed me in, even though I was a new bowler, I had never bowled before.”

He’s glad he added lawn bowling to golf as his outdoor passions.

“I didn’t know how long it would take me to just become very average, but quickly if you are keen on the game you can pick it up pretty quick.”

Yewer was playing against Fred Hulke on Wednesday, whose been an NLBC member since 2014.

Hulke was looking for a new challenge when he literally stumbled upon the club.

“I was looking for something to do in the summer time and came out of the rec centre right here, was asked to try it and I’ve enjoyed it ever since.”

A lot of work goes into keeping the club well maintained.

Members put it in a lot of sweat equity sprucing up the club during the off-season, including a new paint job.

Hulke said it feels special to be part of a centennial anniversary year in a respected organization with such an established history in the city.

“There is quite a bit of pride, it’s nice to be a member of the Nanaimo Lawn Bowling Club, in a beautiful park such as Bowen Park. It’s wonderful, it’s just great.”

Fred Hulke hurles a bowl down the greens of the Nanaimo Lawn Bowling Club in a game against Ian Yewer on Wednesday, April 19 (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Roughly 115 people, mostly retirees, are NLBC members, which the organization hopes to bump up to its pre-pandemic level of about 150.

Nanaimo Community Archives manager Christine Meutzner said the the sheer length the club has been around is impressive.

“As far as I know it’s the oldest sporting, recreational group in Nanaimo.”

Meutzner noted several other social and service clubs have been in existence well over 100 years in Nanaimo.

An annual Nanaimo Lawn Bowling Club membership costs $150.

More information on the organization can be found on the NLBC website.

Join the conversation. Submit your letter to NanaimoNewsNOW and be included on The Water Cooler, our letters to the editor feature.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes