For over ten years now, seniors belonging to the Italian-Canadian community in Ottawa have looked forward to regularly scheduled social activities at the Marconi Centre on Baseline Road. After a long pause during the multiple waves of COVID-19, the Marconi Centre opened its doors again to the community in July 2022.
Every Tuesday afternoon, the banquet hall transforms into a Bingo room. Dedicated volunteers spring into action, setting up tables and chairs for the enthusiastic players. The buzz of the Bingo machine, operated by a 92-year-old who goes by the name of Alberico, provides the background music for due chiachiere, some laughs and competitive spirit.
Once the game begins, this small group of gregarious Italians suddenly become very quiet. The atmosphere becomes serious and intense, almost church-like. One participant reprimanded her new chatty table mate with a “Zita! When I am playing, I need complete silence to properly concentrate”. A reasonable request, consistent with widely accepted Bingo etiquette. And yes… that is a thing. She was one of the regulars with her special Bingo marker (also called a dabber) that she brought from home in her handy Bingo pencil case. Presumably, the equivalent to owning your own bowling ball, only much lighter.
The rules are straightforward: listen closely to Alberico calling out the numbers and mark the ones that appear on your card. At its core, this is a game of chance. But concentration and focus could result in completing a row or two before anyone else.
The competition can get fierce at times, with the odd player shouting out “Bingo!” prematurely. One must pay close attention as Alberico will only announce the letter-number combination once. After all, the man is keeping track of 75 balls! An exception is made for any number in the 60s or 70s. For example, sessantaquattro is repeated as sei-quattro and settantadue is repeated as sette-due.
In this room, B6 and B12 do not stand for recommended vitamins and supplements for older adults. G47 is not shorthand for room 47 of the geriatric ward. Vitamins and geriatrics are left behind for a few hours. A number of men have not returned post pandemic and so women now make up the majority of the group. Organizers are encouraging the half dozen men who have showed up during the summer, to tell their friends and paesani all about Tuesday afternoon Bingo at the Marconi Centre.
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