Health officials linked as many as 300 cases of Covid 19 to the St. James's Well trivia night in Port Moody BC on Feb. 2. As Dougie would say, Dr Henry is pi**ed.
My guess is that none of the 300 people infected at the Trivia Night thought they would get this mysterious illness called Covid 19. I cannot explain how people who play Trivia would have missed the news about the pandemic: trivia players read newspapers, watch TV news, diligently follow social media, and are keen observers of the TV show Jeopardy.
People may be playing games of Trivia at our local retirement homes where older folk sit around, physically distanced, wearing masks, and drinking lukewarm tea, but I hope local bar owners have suspended the games in their back rooms. I understand the educational fun of asking trivial questions, drinking beer, and judging the mixed replies. It’s almost as much fun as Karaoke Night but THEY have banned public singing for now. Martha says I ask too many trivial questions but really I am just trying to improve my understanding of Local and Federal politics. I have the Provincial stuff pretty well pegged by listening to Doug and Vic.
What I plan to do is create an on-line Trivia Night for the North Bay and area. The game will be open to all people who may have been staying at home because they are susceptible to Covid: people with diabetes, heart conditions, asthma and other respiratory ailments, old farts like myself, or citizens simply following the Provincial and Federal recommendations about staying home in whatever colour zone they live. Of course, following our Human Rights guidelines, anyone not mentioned above may join the North Bay Trivia Challenge.
To play the game, simply sign in to KaZoomBa with your real name or penname. The site will be sponsored by Invest North Bay (they have a budget that needs spending) and the judges / moderators will be two brothers who are well known in the community but will remain anonymous for now. Here is how the game will work. A trivia question will be posed by a moderator and you may answer by raising your hand on KaZoomBa. You will be awarded 3 points for a correct answer or one point for a close guess.
For instance, the moderator will say, “Question: What Ontario city has a ‘code of silence’ and recently won an award for this?” Player in Redbridge, your answer is? Sorry, the answer is not Powassan. Powassan has plenty of news reports issued from 250 Clark. We will award 1 point for being within 25 kilometres.
Question: How much, within 10 million dollars, will the new hockey rink/ recreation centre in North Bay cost the taxpayers? Player on Prince Edward Drive your answer is? Sorry, ‘more than the Cassellholme upgrade and renovation’ may be correct but we needed a dollar figure. Player from Laurentian Heights? Yes, 60 million is close enough.
Question: Will a local contractor win the tender award for the Main Street refurbishing? Player on Trout Lake your answer is? Sorry, ‘getting back to you later’ is not the answer we were looking for but I will give you 2 points for participation. Nice to hear from you. Player on Leonard Street? ‘not the lowest tender’ is correct for 3 points.
Question: How long before our Covid restrictions change to code green? Player on Greenwood Ave – oh, sorry player - it appears that our two moderators are having a heated discussion about this answer. Maybe it is time to close the game for this week. We’ll pose the question again next week on North Bay Trivia . . .
You now get the idea of how we can play trivia without the danger of a Covid infection like the 300 people in Port Moody. If you have questions that might challenge our players, please send them to the game sponsor – Invest North Bay - a private corporation where you will not face any conflict of interest questions about your game suggestions.
