Canada’s best puzzle solvers are coming to Georgetown.
Seven hundred competitors have registered for the Canadian National Jigsaw Puzzle Competition to be held at the Gellert Community Centre May 4-5.
Georgetown’s Puzzles Canada hosted a one-day event in October that drew competitors from seven provinces and territories.
“It was incredibly popular,” said Puzzles Canada’s Bruce Donnelly. “We were really happy with how it went.”
Wanting to build off that success, Puzzles Canada worked with the Canadian Jigsaw Puzzle Association to create a national championship.
There will be competitions for individuals, pairs and teams of four. Competitors will be given a 500-piece puzzle to complete in two hours, though some of the top individuals complete them in about 40 minutes.
There will be two qualifying rounds with 96 competitors in each. The top 24 in each will move on to the final. The pairs will follow the same process, narrowing the field from 112 to 40 for the final, while 72 teams will be pared down to 40 for the final.
In addition to the competitors, Donnelly said they are expecting the head of the World Jigsaw Puzzle Association, the head of the Australian association and a YouTuber from New Zealand.
Spectators are welcome and admission is free.
“There will be limited room around the perimeter of the hall where spectators can watch,” Donnelly said. “Doing it over two days this time, we didn’t have to jam as many tables in so there should be a little more room for spectators.”
The competition runs from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
