It’s rowing season on the Red River, and the Winnipeg Rowing Club is hoping you’ll come out and give it a try. The Club is hosting its annual open house where the public is invited to come out and learn more about rowing. The event is scheduled for Sat. June 3 at 20 Lyndale Drive. People can drop in anytime between 12 noon and 4 p.m.
Whether you’re interested in exploring a competitive sport, or want to take up recreational rowing, the open house is a terrific opportunity to find out more. The public will be able to tour the facilities, check out the boats and boathouse, watch rowing demonstrations, and try dockside rowing.
Brand new group of rowers gets ready for their first race during 2016 Community Rowing Challenge at Winnipeg Rowing Club.
Adult Learn-to-Row
Rowing is a lifelong activity for fitness, for competition, or just for fun. The Adult Learn-to-Row program is designed to get beginners up-to-speed. It’s an entry level program that teaches participants the skills necessary to take up rowing, with the potential to transition into recreational rowing, and eventually, competitive (if that is where they want to end up!).
Community Rowing Challenge
The Community Rowing Challenge is an eight-week program for businesses, organizations, clubs, groups of friends, or individuals, that gets teams training together in set ‘quads’ (four scullers). The event concludes with a Championship Regatta on Sat. Aug. 26 where teams put rowing skills to the test in head-to-head races against other CRC teams. Training starts in June.
Senior competitive rowers competing at the 2016 NWIRA regatta in Kenora.
Coaching Staff
Coaches for the 2017 rowing season include MRA Head Coach Janine Stephens (who is also the current President of the Winnipeg Rowing Club). Janine is a former member of Canada’s national rowing team, and Olympic Silver Medalist. She got her start at the Winnipeg Rowing Club, and is thrilled to now be working with athletes who are striving (and thriving) in the sport.
Janine’s focus is working with competitive athletes on Team Manitoba, as well as those identified as potential prospects for Team Canada. Coaching at the elite level along with Janine is former Olympian and World Champion rower Jeff Powell – who also got his start at the Winnipeg Rowing Club.
Coaching for the Winnipeg Rowing Club are Ed Kornachuk (Juniors), Sandra Kirby (Masters Coach), and Robert Dansereau (Recreational).
Masters competitive rowers competing at the 2016 Western Canada Sprints regatta in Regina (L-R) Janine Stephens, Eric Johnstone, Christina Blouw, Ryan Desilets.
At 136 years old, the Winnipeg Rowing Club is one of the oldest sporting organizations in Western Canada. It has been in operation since 1881, stopping only twice – during WWI and WWII.
A long-time tenant on the banks of the Red River in downtown Winnipeg, the WRC survived the North-West Rebellion of 1885, the General Strike of 1919, the Great Depression of the 1930’s, the Great Flood of 1950, and the Flood of the Century in 1997.
Over the years the clubhouse has been destroyed by fire, wind, and water, but has always managed to maintain its long and proud tradition.
Today, the WRC is a non-profit organization with a rich and successful sporting history, fostering generations of camaraderie and friendships. Members range in age from early teens right up to the 80’s, and the club offers programs for all skill levels. Check them out online at www.winnipegrowingclub.ca
