Paul Paquet

{{Short description|Canadian trivia writer}}

{{distinguish|text=wolf biologist Paul C. Paquet}}

Paul Stephen Paquet (born January 24, 1965, in Montreal, Quebec) is a nationally syndicated trivia columnist and a trivia writer, based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

After graduating university, Paquet wrote trivia questions for the online service Prodigy and Seth Godin. In 1995, he and his wife Laura began Cornerstone Creative Communications (now known as Cornerstone World Company), which offered writing, editing and research services, and public and media relations.{{cite web|title=Cornerstone Creative Communications|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen/156227930/|publisher=Ottawa Citizen|date=March 21, 1995|accessdate=29 September 2024}} He began running pub trivia in Ottawa in 1998, starting at the Barley Mow pub{{cite web|title=We had questions for Ottawa's trivia king. He had answers|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-trivia-king-paul-paquet-shares-keys-to-victory-in-the-question-game-1.4460943|website=CBC|accessdate=29 September 2024}} on Bank Street in Old Ottawa South.{{cite web|title=The games we play|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen/156226067/|publisher=Ottawa Citizen|date=December 7, 1998|accessdate=29 September 2024}} The Ottawa Trivia League, has been featured in a mini-documentary on TVOntario.

In 2002, Paquet began hosting World Trivia Night, the world's largest live non-radio annual trivia event.

In December 2008, he took over the Trivia Bits column from Stanley Newman. It runs in 14 newspapers throughout the United States.{{cite web|title=Trivia Bits by Paul Paquet|url=http://www.creators.com/lifestylefeatures/words-and-trivia/trivia-bits-stan-newman.html|accessdate=27 January 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130323051815/http://www.creators.com/lifestylefeatures/words-and-trivia/trivia-bits-stan-newman.html|archivedate=23 March 2013}} In 2015, he started writing a trivia column for Reader's Digest. In addition, he has written for Trivial Pursuit, Uncle John's Bathroom Reader, the Canadian game show Instant Cash and many others.

In 2007, Paquet won the North American leg of the World Quizzing Championships. In 2008, he finished in second place. He has since retired as a player and writes questions for the event itself.{{cite web|title=People Around The World Test Their Trivia Skills During The First-Ever Transatlantic Quiz Organized By International Quiz Association |url=http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/16721|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710211500/http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/16721|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 10, 2011|accessdate=12 December 2010}}

A team he coached at Lisgar Collegiate also won the Ottawa championship for Reach for the Top. He has also hosted the game "Smartypants" at various Game Show Congress and Trivia Championships of North America events beginning in 2005 GSC 4 program|url=http://www.gameshowcongress.net/GSC4ProgramWeb.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723133036/http://www.gameshowcongress.net/GSC4ProgramWeb.pdf |date=2011-07-23 }}

In 2023, Paquet celebrated 25 years of running trivia nights in Ottawa.{{cite web|title=Marking 25 years of trivia nights in Ottawa|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/marking-25-years-of-trivia-nights-in-ottawa-1.6943651|website=CBC|accessdate=29 September 2024}}