Ottawa Rowing Club
Image showing the rowing club's emblem
LocationOttawa, Ontario
Coordinates45°26′7.09″N 75°41′59.77″W / 45.4353028°N 75.6999361°W / 45.4353028; -75.6999361
Founded1867 (1867)
AffiliationsRowing Canada
Websiteottawarowingclub.com

The Ottawa Rowing Club (ORC) is a rowing club based in the city of Ottawa, Ontario. It is the oldest continuous rowing club in Canada.[1] It is a registered club with Rowing Canada and Row Ontario.

Location

Members of the Ottawa Rowing Club practice on the Ottawa River, from Chaudière Falls to Lower Duck Island, passing in front of the mouths of the Rideau River and Gatineau River, and along the shore of Kettle Island.

History

Early rowing clubs

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.[2]

History from 1867 to 1896

The Ottawa Rowing Club was founded on June 6, 1867.[3] John A. Macdonald was its inaugural president.[4]

The club's first regatta, on September 26, 1867, was described as follows:

'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.'[4]

The initial regattas organized by the club were mainly for professional rowers and attracted numerous crews and spectators. As an example, ten races were held 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.[5]

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. Whilst the view from the club house over the Chaudière Falls was picturesque, the rowing conditions were difficult: vast fields 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[6] 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 boathouse (purchase offers were made by external parties).[7] 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.[8]

In 1884 and 1885, the club house suffered damages when it sank. Members of the club, led by P. D. Ross, discussed building a permanent foundation for the boathouse in 1887.[9] In 1891, Ross, an 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.[10]

History from 1896

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 club purchase a riverfront property below John A. Macdonald's home Earnscliffe. The boathouse would be left at its current, permanent location.

For six consecutive years, from 1905 to 1911, members of the club were the North American champions.[11] The two world wars were difficult years for the club, with fourteen members losing their lives while serving during World War I,[12] and with the boathouse showing signs of deterioration due to neglect.

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.[11]

The 1950s and 1960s was a period of decline for the Ottawa Rowing Club. After seizing the club due to financial constraints, in 1967 the City of Ottawa agreed to restore the part of the old boathouse which still exists today, but decided to demolish the other half of the building due to its poor condition. The demolished portion of the building stored boats and included a ballroom.[13] In that year, the club only had nine members, and the permanent closure of the club was being debated.[14]

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 1,000 members, the Ottawa Rowing Club is today one of the largest clubs in Canada.

University rowing

In 1949, when the University of Ottawa created the Physical Education Program, the Ottawa Rowing Club offered equipment and coaches.[15]

Facilities

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.[16] Administrative offices, change rooms, and ergometers and weight room are located on the second floor.

Notable crews and rowers

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 was the first holder of the Ned Hanlan Memorial Trophy. Within 24 hours of the victory, Ottawans raised funds to bring the crew to the National Association Regatta in Washington, D.C., where the Ottawa crew won again.[17] The eight crew, but also a four-man crew, later competed at the Grand Challenge Cup of the Henley Royal Regatta in 1911, where they lost to Magdalen College, of Oxford in the semi-finals.[18][19] The coach of the 1910 crew was Jan A. Ten Eyck who captured ten U.S. National Championships as the coach for Syracuse University.

Professional hockey player Harvey Pulford joined the Ottawa Rowing Club in 1905, and there, as stroke with the junior fours and then the senior eights, he brought first-place honours to the club at various regattas. In 1909, the Canadian Association of Amateur Oarsmen reinstated him after he had played professional hockey, despite being ineligible to compete as an amateur because he had played professional hockey. He was a member of the 1910 Ottawa Rowing Club eight, and later served as president of the club until his resignation in 1936.[20]

Participation in international events

Below is a list of athletes who have rowed with (or coached/worked at) the Ottawa Rowing Club and have participated in international rowing events.

Olympic and Paralympic Games

NameEditionEvent
Gabriel Beaudry[21]London 1948M2x
Fred Graves[22]
James (Jim) Walker[23][24]Munich 1972M4+
Bev Cameron[25][26]Montreal 1976W2x
Rob Marland[27][28][29]Seoul 1988M4+
Mike Forgeron[27][28][30]Barcelona 1992M8+
Rob Marland[27][28][29]
Anna van der Kamp[31][32]Atlanta 1996W8+
Alison Korn[33][34]
Anna van der Kamp[31][32]W2−
Mike Forgeron[27][28][30]M2x
Alison Korn[33][34]Sydney 2000W8+
Larry Varga[27][28][35]M8+
Rodrigo Ideus[36][37]Beijing 2008M1x
Morgan Jarvis[38][39]London 2012LM2x
Derek O'Farrell[27][28][40]M4−
David Blair[41][42]London 2012
(Paralympics)		LTAMix4+
Cristy Nurse[43][44]Rio de Janeiro 2016W8+
Antje von Seydlitz-Kurzbach[43][45]
Christine Roper[43][46]
Nicole Hare[31][47]W2−
Jennifer Martins[31][48]
Andrew Todd[31][49]Rio de Janeiro 2016
(Paralympics)		LTAMix4+
Nicole Hare[31][47]Tokyo 2020W4−
Jennifer Martins[31][48]
Christine Roper[43][46]W8+
Andrew Todd[31][49]Tokyo 2020
(Paralympics)		PR3Mix4+

Club 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.[50]

References

  1. ↑ "Ottawa Rowing Club". Archived from the original on August 31, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  2. ↑ The Canadian Encyclopedia
  3. ↑ "Ottawa Rowing Club". The Ottawa Times. Vol. II, no. 453. June 6, 1867. p. 2. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  4. 1 2 Boswell, Randy (June 30, 2017). "Ottawa's got game". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Article". The Ottawa Daily Citizen. August 13, 1869.
  6. ↑ "Article". The Ottawa Daily Citizen. August 12, 1869.
  7. ↑ "Article". The Ottawa Daily Citizen. April 2, 1870.
  8. ↑ Janssen, Frederick William, ed. (1888). A History of American Amateur Athletics and Aquatics: With the Records. New York: The Manhattan Life Insurance Company. pp. 193–194. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  9. ↑ "The Ottawa Rowing Club – Discuss Proposed Improvements to the Club House and the Advisability of Giving a Dance". The Ottawa Daily Citizen. Vol. XLIII, no. 20. October 20, 1887. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  10. ↑ "The Canadian Association's Regatta Offered To Toronto". The Toronto Daily Mail. Vol. XX, no. 5972. April 27, 1891. p. 2. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  11. 1 2 Greene, Trevor (1988). "Glory days". Ottawa Magazine. pp. 13–14.
  12. ↑ "Ottawa Rowing Club Will Honor Their Heroic Dead". The Ottawa Citizen. No. 132. November 13, 1918. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  13. ↑ Information gathered from Wes Curran, umpire and rower at the Ottawa Rowing Club. July 2017.
  14. ↑ Ferguson, Bob (July 24, 1986). "Ottawa Rowing Club has risen, like a phoenix, from the ashes to prominence". The Citizen, Ottawa. p. E2. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  15. ↑ Archives of the University of Ottawa
  16. ↑ McKeague, Paul (October 14, 1983). "New building under study for Ottawa Rowing Club". The Citizen, Ottawa. p. 39. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Canadian Oarsmen to much for Competitors". Los Angeles Herald. Vol. 37, no. 317. August 14, 1910. Archived from the original on December 24, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2022 – via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  18. ↑ Kinsella, Jack (April 28, 1953). "Ottawa Rowing Club Nearly Scored Grand Slam in 1910-11: Late Harvey Pullford Stroked Great Crew". Section E. The Ottawa Citizen. p. 20. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Ottawa Defeated by Magdalen College". The Quebec Chronicle. July 8, 1911. p. 6. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  20. ↑ http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/pulford_ernest_harvey_16F.html
  21. ↑ "Gabriel Beaudry Bio, Stats, and Results". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Fred Graves Bio, Stats, and Results". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020.
  23. ↑ "ORC Alumni Database". Ottawa Rowing Club. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  24. ↑ "James Walker Bio, Stats, and Results". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020.
  25. ↑ "Women Single". St. Catharines Standard. Retrieved February 23, 2023 – via St. Catharines Public Library.
  26. ↑ "Beverley Cameron". worldrowing.com. World Rowing. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cleary, Martin (September 26, 2022). "HIGH ACHIEVERS WEEKEND WRAP: University athletes Campbell Fair, Nathan Van Putten, Izzy Ferguson post highlight-reel moments". Ottawa Sports Pages. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  28. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Head of the Rideau - Mens Masters 8+". Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  29. 1 2 "Robert Marland". worldrowing.com. World Rowing. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  30. 1 2 "Mike Forgeron". worldrowing.com. World Rowing. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  31. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Ottawa Rowing Club Celebrates 2016 Season". Ottawa Rowing Club. November 25, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  32. 1 2 "Anna Van der kamp". worldrowing.com. World Rowing. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  33. 1 2 "Alison Korn gets an Ottawa street named after her". Ottawa Rowing Club. October 24, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  34. 1 2 "Alison Korn". worldrowing.com. World Rowing. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  35. ↑ "Larry Varga". worldrowing.com. World Rowing. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  36. ↑ Clear, Martin (July 2, 2020) [Originally published August 11, 2015]. "High Achievers: The time may be now for Mortimer in the Angus vs. Adam kayak show". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  37. ↑ "Rodrigo Ideus Forero". worldrowing.com. World Rowing. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  38. ↑ "Morgan Jarvis". Olympedia. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  39. ↑ "Morgan Jarvis". worldrowing.com. World Rowing. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  40. ↑ "Derek O'farrell". worldrowing.com. World Rowing. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  41. ↑ Plouffe, Dan (September 8, 2011). "World rowing silver leaves future Paralympian feeling "numb"". Ottawa Sports Pages. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  42. ↑ "David Blair". worldrowing.com. World Rowing. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  43. 1 2 3 4 "Canadian Rowers Named to World Cup II Team". sirc.ca. Sport Information Resource Centre. May 24, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  44. ↑ "Cristy Nurse". worldrowing.com. World Rowing. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  45. ↑ "Antje Von seydlitz-kurzbach". worldrowing.com. World Rowing. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  46. 1 2 "Christine Roper". worldrowing.com. World Rowing. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  47. 1 2 "Nicole Hare". worldrowing.com. World Rowing. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  48. 1 2 "Jennifer Martins". worldrowing.com. World Rowing. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  49. 1 2 "Andrew Todd". worldrowing.com. World Rowing. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  50. ↑ 1878 by-laws and rules of the Ottawa Rowing Club
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