Doug Drew was born
in Davidson (SK) - 1930 and today lives in Sarasota (Fl)
about six months and the rest of time in Toronto.
He graduated from Davidson SK and graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in 1951.
Doug Drew and Canadian bridge administration were synonymous for 40 years. It was because of Doug that we have a Canadian Bridge Federation; he was one of the six founding members in the 1960s. From 1957 until 1997 Drew continuously held elected office, serving as the District 2 representative (with a three-year hiatus) on the ACBL’s Board of Directors from 1969 to 1993, always watching out for Canadian interests.
Doug was the driving force behind the creation of two all-Canadian districts (1 & 2) in the ACBL. He served as ACBL President in 1984 and Chairman of the Board of Directors in 1985. He also served as Unit and District President during many of those years.
Drew has superb organizational and problem-solving abilities, evidenced in the tournaments he chaired and co-chaired over the years, including the Canadian Nationals Regional Tournament in Toronto, the Niagara Falls Regional and the 1997 World Junior Bridge Team Championships in Hamilton, Ontario. The Regionals he ran for District 2 in Toronto and Niagara Falls always made a profit and it was mostly because of Doug that the World Junior Championship came in under budget. Drew conceived of and initiated the action required to create the ACBL Educational Program, the teaching arm of the League.
Drew has always taken an eager interest in our international teams and the World Bridge Federation. While Director of ACBL District 2, he was one of the ACBL’s representatives on the WBF’s Board, serving on their Executive Council, the Appeals Committee, the Corporate Development Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Master Points Committee.
While Drew’s accomplishments as a bridge administrator overshadowed his success as a player, he has won numerous titles. He also created his own bidding system, “Five-Card Minors”, intended to be a fun-to-play method for the amusement of its devotees and opponents alike. The key to the system is that playing five-card minors dictates that you open three-card majors.
Doug is most proud of serving on the Ontario Unit Board for 41 years and being the guiding influence for tournament policy and support for the developing CBF as well as financial support for Canada’s International representatives.
Other interests include golf, bowling, poker, gin, backgammon, and sports wagering.
He was inductees in the Canadian Bridge Hall of Fame in 2011.