Ottawa Rowing Club

Ottawa Rowing Club

Location	Ottawa, Ontario
Founded	1867 (1867)
Affiliations	Rowing Canada
Website	http://ottawarowingclub.com/

Ottawa Rowing Club

The Ottawa Rowing Club (ORC) is a rowing club based in the City of Ottawa. It is the oldest rowing club in Canada and is located on the south banks of the Ottawa River at 10 Lady Grey Avenue. It is a registered club with Rowing Canada and Row Ontario.

Approximate location of the Ottawa Rowing Club from 1867 to 1896. Photograph of Entrance Valley and the rear of Parliament Hill by William James Topley, 1880. Parliament Hill from rear showing Rideau Canal Locks and Entrance Bay.

History[]

Genesis of rowing on the Ottawa and Saint-Lawrence rivers[]

Rowing on the Ottawa River at what is now the Ottawa Capital Region probably started when the Royal Engineers of the British Army began to build the Rideau Canal. The workers were quartered on the Quebec side of the river in what was then known as Wrightville (established in 1800). They would cross the river to work at the base of the Rideau Canal in oared ferries. A settlement on the Ottawa side of the river (Bytown) was established in 1826.

In the 1840s, rowing clubs and regattas appeared in the Upper Canada communities of Toronto, Brockville, Monkton, and Cobourg. By this time, Canadian oarsmen were competing against British and American oarsmen in regattas in Halifax, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and other centres.^[1] The first rowing clubs which were founded in the Ottawa and Saint-Lawrence Valleys include the Lachine Rowing Club (1863^[2]), the Bayside Rowing Club (1869), the Argonaut Rowing Club (1872^[3]), the Leander Rowing Club (1877^[4]), the Don Rowing Club (1878^[5]), and the Ottawa Rowing Club (1867). In 1880, the Canadian Association of Amateur Oarsmen included the above-mentioned clubs ^[6] but also other clubs which are no longer operating such as the Toronto Rowing Club (1865), the Nautilus Rowing Club in Hamilton (1879^[7]), the Grand Trunk Boating Club in Montreal (1875^[8]), and the Chatham Rowing Club.

Club's history when located at the foot of Parliament Hill (1867–1896)[]

The Ottawa Rowing Club was founded on 6 June 1867,^[9] the same year as the Canadian Confederation. One of its founders and first patron was Sir John A. Macdonald; other members of the first executive committee included Robert Lyon (politician), mayor of Ottawa, and; Allan Gilmour, businessman in the shipping and timber industries.

The Club’s first-ever regatta, held on 26 September 1867,^[10] began with great promise: “The day was very fine, the weather having been all that could possibly be desired for comfort,” noted the news coverage. “Throughout the afternoon crowds of people lined the river banks to witness the sport, while the bosom of the river literally swarmed with all sorts of sailing craft, from the tiniest little shell up to the stateliest steamboat.” The event attracted competitors from Toronto, Hamilton and Quebec City, but in the showcase first event — a four-mile, open boat sailing race — local businessmen Edward McGillivray in Who’s Ahead and club secretary R.H. Haycock in Undine were even in the final stretch before Who’s Ahead answered its own question, winning by “about three lengths.” Despite the dramatic finish in the first of seven races, spectators grumbled that the regatta overall was a bore, with long delays between races. But “the start has been made,” Haycock wrote to the Ottawa Times in response to the complaints, and the club would “spare no trouble in endeavouring to improve upon this, the first attempt.”

The initial regattas organized by the Club were mainly for professional rowers and attracted numerous crews and spectators. As an example, ten races were hold at the 1869 regatta, with entrance fees per crew up to $10 and prizes for first place up to $100. A special train by the Saint-Lawrence and Ottawa railroad was offered for "the convenience of parties desiring to return the same evening." Barges were also provided for spectators.^[11]

The original club house was a wooden building, initially built on pontoons, and moored to the shore of the Ottawa river at the foot of parliament hill, between the Rideau canal and the Chaudière falls (Akikodjiwan Falls under their Algonquin name). Whilst the view from the club house over the Chaudière falls was picturesque, the rowing conditions were difficult: vast field of sawdust and other refuse from an immense lumber mill situated about the falls, and logs escaping from the booms. Each spring, along with the melting ice, the club house floated downstream and came aground. Every year it was brought back up near the Rideau canal. As a result of those difficult environmental conditions, a "new and commodious boat house" was built in preparation to the 1869 Regatta^[12] organized by the Club.

In 1870, the Club would have ceased their activities and the ownership of the boat house was transferred "to two or three members of the late Club". Discussions on the formation of a Boat House Company were held in order to avoid selling the property and club house (purchase offers were made by external parties).^[13] There is no record of the Club from 1871 to 1874, until 25 June 1875 where the Club would have been re-introduced with approximately 100 members.^[14]

In 1884 and 1885, the club house suffered important damage when it sank. Members of the Club, led by P. D. Ross, discussed building a permanent foundation for the club boat house in 1887.^[15] In 1891, P.D. Ross, executive committee member of the Canadian Association of Amateur Oarsmen declined hosting the association's regatta due to the bad course on the Ottawa river and unsatisfactory financial condition of the Ottawa Rowing Club.^[16]

Club's history at its current location (1896–present)[]

Northward view of the Ottawa River from Nepean point in 1918 with the Ketchum Boat Manufacturing in the foreground and the Ottawa Rowing Club in the background.

In spring 1896, the members of the Club decided to purchase a piece of the river front property at 10 Lady Grey Drive and leave the club house in its current, permanent location. The Club is just west of and below Sir John A. Macdonald's home Earnscliffe that is now the residence of the Britain's High Commissioner to Canada.

For six consecutive years, from 1905 to 1911, members of the Club were the North American champions.^[17] The two world wars were difficult years for the Club, with fourteen members losing their lives while serving during World War I^[18] and with the club house being neglected and showing signs of deterioration.

During the Depression years, P.D. Ross, former editor of the defunct Ottawa Journal, was president of the Club. He infuriated his reporters by paying them small salaries while openly spending into equipment and upkeep for the rowing club.^[19]

The 1950s and 1960s was a period of decline for the Ottawa Rowing Club. After seizing the Club due to financial constraints, the City of Ottawa agreed to restore in 1967 the part of the old club house that exists today but decided to demolish the other half of the building due to its poor condition (that portion of the building stored boats and included a ballroom).^[20] On that year, there were only nine members and the permanent closure of the club was being debated.^[21]

Volunteers, such as Peter King, supported the development of rowing in Ottawa in the 1970s. The rowing boom resulted in two new clubs (that do not exist anymore): the Nepean Rowing Club and the Ottawa Carleton Rowing School.

With close to 1000 members, the Ottawa Rowing Club is today one of the largest clubs in Canada.

University rowing[]

In 1949, the Ottawa Rowing Club accepted to contribute to the development of the rowing program at the University of Ottawa by offering equipment and coaches.^[22] In 1988, Carleton University Rowing was not part of the ORC but launched on a piece of land just east of the club. It was called the Ottawa Carleton Rowing School.^[23] Ottawa University and Carleton University join the ORC in 1991 after the Ottawa Carleton Rowing School closed.

Women's rowing[]

The first women's races were introduced at the 1951 European Rowing Championships as test events. After three successful tests, these became official championships as accredited by the International Rowing Federation (FISA) at the 1954 European Rowing Championships. In Canada, women started to register in rowing clubs approximately in 1970. The first women competition at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta was held in 1972.

The first women to join ORC registered in 1971 or 1972^[24] The first Ottawa-born woman to succeed at the international level was Beverley Cameron, who competed at the 1976 Olympics and 1977 World's Championship.^[25] It was not until the 1976 that women were allowed to participate (at a distance of 1000 metres) in the rowing events of the Olympics – well after their fellow athletes in similar sports such as swimming, athletics, cycling, and canoeing. This increased the growth of women's rowing because it created the incentive for national rowing federations to support women's events. As member of the first contingent of women competing in Olympic rowing, Beverley Cameron was included to the Class of 2019 Canadian Rowing Hall of Fame.^[26]

Today, women outnumber men as members of the Ottawa Rowing Club.

Facilities[]

The Ottawa Rowing Club rows on the Ottawa river (Kitchissippi under its Algonquin name). The rowers launch racing shells with bow pointing westward upstream, and effectuate a loop from the Alexandra Bridge to the Rockcliffe Airport, rowing downstream on the Quebec side and upstream on the Ontario side. The full loop is approximately 12 kilometres.

1951 P.D. Ross regatta final in front of the Ottawa Rowing Club. The portion of the club house shown on the left of the picture and the house apartments above the cliff no longer exist.

The Ottawa Rowing Club facilities includes two main buildings. The older building (est. 1896) houses members’ privately owned skiff on the ground floor. The second floor is an interpretation centre that also serves as banquet facilities rented out for weddings and other conventions. The building was renovated in 1999 by the City of Ottawa.

The second club house was built in 1987. It consists of a two-story building with four bays for shell and oar storage on the ground floor.^[27] Administrative offices, change rooms, and ergometers and weight room are located on the second floor.

Notable rowers[]

In addition to winning four times the Stanley Cup with the Ottawa Hockey Club and being a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Harvey Pulford was a member of the 1910 Ottawa Rowing Club eight that defeated every one of its opponents, earning the Canadian and North American championships. Pulford later became president of the Ottawa Rowing Club. He served as president of Ottawa Rowing Club until resigning in 1936.

The 1910 crew[]

1910 Ottawa rowing crew

In 1908 two four-man crews won numerous Canadian and American championships. These two crews were joined into a new shell in 1910: the "Bagnall", christened to the name of the person who provided the funds to purchase the boat. The eight won the 1910 Royal Canadian Henley Regatta and first holder of the Ned Hanlan Memorial Trophy. Within 24 hour of the victory, Ottawa citizens raised funds to bring the crew to the National Association Regatta in Washington, D.C. where the Ottawa crew won again.^[28] The eight crew, but also a four-men crew, later competed at the Grand Challenge Cup of the Henley Royal Regatta where they finished second behind the Magdalen College of Oxford.^[29] The coach of the 1910 crew was Jan A. Ten Eyck who captured ten U.S. National Championships as the coach for Syracuse University.

The crew was made of the following persons represented from left to right on the adjacent picture: Harvey Pulford (stroke), Eddie Philips (7-seat), Bill Harrison (6-seat), Bob Greene (5-seat), Jim McCuaig (4-seat), Marty Kilt (3-seat), Thayer Jolliffe (2-seat), Felix Sowden (bow-seat), and Chester Payne (coxswain).^[30]

The 1948 Olympians[]

After World War II, the Club regrouped and produced impressive results in the form of the double scull boat of Ted Graves and Gabriel Beaudry who won the 1948 North American Championships and represented Canada at the London Olympic Games on that same year.

Gabriel Beaudry undertook numerous athletic pursuits and, indeed, in his youth he was not only a North American and European rowing champion, but also excelled in college football, which helped him pay for his education at the University of Ottawa. It was not until he was nearly 40 that he began to pursue skiing, after a trip to Whistler, British Columbia, years before it became a popular ski venue and he became one of several leading figures of his generation to help develop the site and the sport. For a time, he became director of the Canadian Ski Association, which later became Alpine Canada.^[31]

As for Ted Graves, his Olympic participation came after serving under the Royal Canadian Air Forces during World War II (415 Squadron Bomber Command^[32]) and being a prisoner of war.^[33]

Participation in international events[]

Hereafter is a list of athletes born in Ottawa or have rowed with the Ottawa Rowing Club and have participated in international events.

Participation in the Olympic Games:

Participation to the World Rowing Championships:

Participation to the World University Rowing Championships:

Participation to the U23 World Championships:

Four rowers on the 2016 edition of the Canadian national team have rowed with the Ottawa Rowing Club: Kate Goodfellow, Sarah Black, Carolyn Ganes, Cristy Nurse, and Rosie Deboef.

Regattas[]

The ORC participated to the first regattas organized by the Canadian Association of Amateur Oarsmen, starting in 1880. In the late 19th century, the ORC held two sets of regattas per year, one in the spring confined to four-oared crews, and one in the fall.

Currently, the ORC hosts three regattas during the rowing season. The first one is the National Capital High School Regatta which takes place each year at the end of May/beginning of June on the Ottawa River.

The second race event is the P.D. Ross Memorial Regatta which first took place on 23 September 1950 on the Ottawa River between the University of Ottawa and McMaster University. From 1957 to 1972, the P.D. Ross Memorial trophy was awarded to the winner of the Club Eight (8+) event. Since 1998, the annual race is now between mixed women and men’s varsity and alumni crews from University of Ottawa and Carleton University either on the Rideau Canal or the Ottawa River.

The third race is Head of the Rideau (distance of 5 km) which is held at the end of September on the Rideau River. At its first edition in 1972, Head of the Rideau was raced on the Rideau canal.

Members of the club are also invited to participate in these different regattas throughout the year, in function of their membership and abilities.

• RADAR - Welland
• ERA High School Regatta - Montreal
• Canadian Secondary School High School Regatta - St Catharines
• Independence Day Regatta - Philadelphia
• ERA Regatta - Montreal
• RowOntario - Welland
• Royal Canadian Henley Regatta - St Catharines
• Head of the Trent - Peterborough
• Brock Invitational - St. Catharines
• Head of the Charles - Boston
• Ontario Universities Rowing Championship - St Catharines
• Head of the Fish - Saratoga Springs, NY
• Canadian Universities Rowing Championship
• RADAR - Welland

Club's colours[]

The colours of the Club are Navy Blue diagonal stripe with Cardinal Red background. In 1887, the Club’s uniform consisted of a Navy Blue jacket, trimmed with Cardinal Red, white flannel trousers, and a white guernsey, trimmed with the club colours; and a Navy Blue cap with Cardinal Red bars, or a straw hat with the club colours and Navy Blue and Cardinal Red stripped stockings.^[34]

Uniform of the Ottawa Rowing Club

Blade colours of the Ottawa Rowing Club

Membership[]

The Ottawa Rowing Club offers different memberships:

• Competitive
• Masters
• High School
• University
• Recreational
• Adult rowing league
• Learn to row
• Summer Youth Camps

References[]

• http://rowingcanada.org/
• http://www.ottawarowingclub.com/