Ancient Sport Continues to Roll Along the Banks of the Grand River in Paris

The Paris Lawn Bowling Club continues to welcome players of all ages to its riverside greens beside the newly rebuilt Wilkin Family Community Centre. The 2,055-square-foot facility, now home to the club’s modern clubhouse and gathering space, is Brant’s first net-zero building structure and was made possible through a successful $400,000 community fundraising campaign, which included a $5,000 contribution from the Paris Lawn Bowling Club.

George Le Gresley

Paris Independent Sports Correspondent 

Lawn Bowling, or Bowls, is said to have originated over 4,000 years ago, with balls, heretofore known as bowls, discovered in Egyptian pyramids. In the 1200-1500’s, lawn bowling was played on grass commons near town squares and churches. The game was so popular that King Edward III banned his soldiers from playing it because it distracted them from archery practice. Henry VIII, taking time away from his marital problems, placed limits on how much time they could spend playing, as it again distracted workers and commoners from their work. 

Fast forward a few hundred years, and lawn bowling arrived in Paris. Across the street from the Paris Presbyterian Church and located by the Grand River, you’ll find the Paris Lawn Bowling Club. The club is one of the oldest sports organizations in the area, established around 1884 and moving to its current location around 1893. If you haven’t been to the club recently, you’ll find the relaxing noises of the river (often interrupted by a train or two), the modern Wilkins Community Center as its clubhouse, and new cabanas offering a chance to sit down and get a little shade between play.

Lawn bowling is similar to Bocce and even curling. How each end starts is that a player rolls a jack, a smaller white ball, down their lane to be the target ball. There is a strategy like curling, by leads throwing guards in front of the target jack, followed by seconds, thirds, and skips throwing takeouts or rolling bowls like a curling rock behind guards to get closer to the jack. Whoever has the most bowls closest to the jack scores points.

So why do bowls curl down the lane? Bowls have a bias, or a greater weight on one side than the other, so that when thrown down the lane, the bowl will curl. Like curling, a skip will set a target, calling the weight he wants to draw, guard, or take out the opponent's bowl with a hit. Bowls come in different weights and sizes so they can fit any hand size, with a maximum weight of 3.5 pounds (1.59 kilograms). Bowls are available to players at no charge at the Paris club, and if you wish, you can purchase your bowls, which cost approximately $300 to $1000. Other required equipment includes comfortable shoes and clothing, and perhaps a hat and sunscreen to protect you from the sun.

As for physical requirements to play the game, they are the ability to throw a bowl like a bowling ball and, if you are able, a slight knee bend.

The most important requirement to play lawn bowling is to be prepared to meet some new people, as teams are made up on game days, and have some fun. Many tournaments around Ontario want to be competitive, but overall expect to have a relaxing time and a lot of fun.

All who are 12 or older are welcome to drop by on Tuesdays and Thursdays, weather permitting. Arrive by 6:45 pm to be ready to play starting at 7 pm and finishing up by 9 pm. For more information, call the club at 519-740-7195, email at parislawnbowlingclub@gmail.com, and visit their website www.parislawnbowlingclub.ca.