Our club was informally established in July 2023 as a way to coordinate riichi mahjong meetups in Canada’s National Capital Region (NCR). On April 29, 2024, we were named the Capital Riichi Club (CRIC).

CRIC’s logo — based on the 2-pin tile — was created in March 2025 and designed to represent the NCR’s two main areas: Ottawa and Gatineau. The flowers in each circle depict the official provincial flowers for Québec and Ontario (top and bottom, respectively) and the colours used directly match the colours of both cities’ logos.

Official club meetups are held once a month at Level One Game Pub in the downtown area (14 rue Waller Street, Ottawa, ON) and club members often host pick-up events on weekends in various locations across the NCR. Since our founding in 2023, we have been actively participating in local community events — especially those that celebrate the creative arts and culture. We hosted a riichi mahjong booth at Anime Ottawa 2025 and were featured on CBC Ottawa’s All in a Day Book Club hosted by Alan Neal (featuring Wayne Ng, author of Johnny Delivers, a novel that heavily incorporates mahjong elements into its storytelling).

Our club has since grown to over 150 members with regular member engagement and we hope to continue growing the NCR’s riichi mahjong community in the years to come. Whether you are a new player, or a seasoned veteran, all skill levels are welcome at the Capital Riichi Club!