“Ready, set go,” said the librarian at the Murrayville public library.
With that, four teams seated at tables began sorting through puzzle pieces in a spacious meeting room at the back of the library.
Some participants chose to stand, the better to find matching pieces and fit them in.
It was the fifth annual jigsaw puzzle competition at the Murrayville library.
Speed and accuracy were required, with the teams all working on the exact same puzzle.
The winners, an all-Langley team, finished so far ahead of the other competitors that they started working on a second puzzle, just to have something to do while they waited for the second, third and fourth place finishes to be decided.
Nada Reid, Fay Miller, Kim Roscher and Chris Nordman, took just 49 minutes to complete the 500-piece puzzle.
Their prize was a gift certificate for a nearby coffee shop.
The event drew participants from as far away as Port Moody, the home of puzzle fanatics Wayne and Betty Austen.
Wayne said when they heard about the event they “just had to make the trip.”
The Saturday (Jan. 27) event was one of several held as part of National Family Literacy Day at all 25 Fraser Valley Regional Library (FVRL) locations, including the five libraries in the Langleys.
READ MORE: Langley libraries mark Family Literacy Day
FVRL is the largest public library system in British Columbia, with 25 libraries serving almost 700,000 people in its service area.
Established in 1930, it is funded with taxes raised in the communities it serves, plus a Government of BC operating grant.
The governing Board consists of elected officials representing 15 member municipalities and regional districts.
READ MORE: Virtual becomes reality at library
dan.ferguson@langleytimes.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
