Katrina Boguski
Freelance
Barry’s Bay – The Madawaska Valley Public Library hosted their fall trivia night at the Paul J. Yakabuski Community Centre in Barry’s Bay this past Friday. By all accounts, the trivia night was a big success, not only for the winning team, but also for the library and the many groups who participated in the evening.
When asked how Friday’s trivia night compared to past trivia events, Head Librarian Natalie Barrington said, “We had a great turnout!” In total, 14 teams participated. Barrington said, “We have many regular teams from local organizations and groups and individuals who support every trivia night.” While the final proceeds are still being calculated, Barrington expects that the night raised $1,110.
Barrington commented, “It is a fun night out for less than $15 per person.” She said, “We are happy to see some new teams join us as well. We hope they return for trivia in spring 2026.”
When asked, “How do volunteers prepare for the event?” Barrington explained that the questions are written by volunteer Bob Filipkowski. She added, “Bill Houle has retired from writing questions, but he left us with a large bank of questions to draw from as well. We also have several volunteers who help with marking, the canteen, door prizes, [and other] various tasks that make the night a success.”
The library is a cherished institution in our community and draws the support of many volunteers and sponsors throughout the year and for this event especially. Barrington said, “I would like to thank all of the volunteers and local businesses who donated door prizes.” Local business and individuals who donated to the event included: P38 Energy, V&S Stedmans Department Store, Barry’s Bay Home Hardware Building Centre, Mary and Clifford Blank, The Wilno Craft Gallery, Barry’s Bay Family Dental Centre, Northern Credit Union, Tim Hortons, Lorraine’s Pharmasave, and others.
Each participant was given a ticket and door prizes were drawn between the rounds by former Librarian and CEO Karen Filipkowski. Questions covered a range of topics from sports and music to science, history and Canadian culture. The diversity of the questions meant that no one team had the advantage going into the event. This year, a team comprised of people who work at Madawaska Valley District High School took first place. Team members were, Trent Robinson, PJ Paget, Maddison Bloskie, Dave Alix, Laura Luckasavitch, Jody Sernoskie. Their team’s name was “Only here for an Alibi”
The local library is not the only one who benefits from the event. Participants also gained much from joining in the fun. Besides the chance to win some great door prizes, the evening was also the perfect occasion to exercise, “those little grey cells.” Recall is an important part of retaining a healthy brain and improving learning capacity. Research into brain plasticity has become a hot topic as Baby Boomers age and are looking for ways stay active and independent as long as possible. Many of the participants were 65 plus. Age was a potential advantage for some questions such as those asking for the name so singers from the 50s and 60s; youth was potentially more of an advantage for questions about recent pop culture.
The evening was also a chance to meet new people in a fun and competitive environment. Many of the teams were comprised of people from various groups involved in education and service to the community. Their collective presence in the room was a testament to the number of people who, either through their professional or volunteer work, strive to make the community a better place to live.
Teams from other groups such as the local foodbank, the Madawaska Valley Gardening Club, The Station Keepers, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College and others also came out to the event. There was a healthy spirit of competition in the room and a common appreciation for the work of the library staff and volunteers.
As fall descends on the Valley, many book lovers are looking forward to diving into their favourite subjects; after Friday night’s trivia contest, some readers will be expanding their knowledge into other areas in order to broaden their awareness of topics that might come in handy at the next trivia night.
The totals for the team are as follows:
Only Here for an Alibi 63, Rural Roots 50, Team Rivia 48, Station Keepers 38, Artificial Intelligence, 46, Outwitters, 53, Smart Asks 46, MV Food Bank 58, Victorius Secret 41, Jeopardy Rejects 61, The College 54, We are so SMRT 56, Trial by Trivia 60, Green Thumbs 56.
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