The George Retek Trophy was created by the District 1 Board of Directors upon George Retek’s retirement from the ACBL Board of Directors, to honour District 1 members who, like George, have devoted many years of exemplary service to their Unit and/or District.

This year, the trophy is awarded to Christine Bourbeau, in recognition of her outstanding and sustained contribution to the Montreal Bridge League (MBL) since 2012.

Kind, helpful, and dynamic, Christine has always been ready to lend a hand, with a genuine passion for the game of bridge. As the institutional memory of the MBL, she always knows where to find the information needed. Her tireless work to spread the love and knowledge of bridge has earned her this well-deserved recognition.

Christine’s involvement with the MBL includes:

• April 2012 to June 2022: MBL Board Member and Secretary
• August 2016 to June 2022: MBL President
• 2019 to present: MBL Webmaster and Bridge Newsletter Coordinator

Christine is also an ACBL-accredited teacher and director. Among her many contributions:

• A welcome program for new members (information brochure, welcome letter with free tournament entries), several I/N tournaments, and dedicated conferences for beginners
• Development of promotional campaigns, including local campaigns at clubs’ request
• Organization of MBL tournaments
• Numerous articles published on the League’s website, recognizing bridge players for their contributions, remarkable achievements, or honours received from the CBF or ACBL
• Supervised practice sessions held over several years at the former Mirage club
• Two years teaching introductory bridge courses

Through her generosity, dedication, and dynamism, Christine Bourbeau embodies the spirit of the George Retek Trophy. Since stepping down from the MBL’s Board of Directors, she remains a valued point of reference for the current administrators and continues to volunteer her time for a wide range of tasks.