Its beginning’s date back 141 years. 1880 to be exact.
That’s when the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta started as the first championship for the newly formed Canadian Association of Amateur Oarsmen.
In 1903 it was decided to hold the event at St. Catharines Port Dalhousie’s Martindale Pond hosted by the St. Catharines Rowing Club permanently.
Peter Scott is the Henley’s longtime chair.
“We’ve got a record since Covid, the numbers keep going up. We’ve got about 2,100 entries, 2,500 athletes, 400 volunteers, 400-plus coaches, and about 5,500 seats – if a boat comes down we count seats,” explained Scott recently on the Niagara Sports Report on 610 CKTB.
“About 470 races, we’re going down every six minutes. Youth rowing starts Tuesday with about 90 races and it goes every day until Sunday at three o’clock.”
All week passes and wristband (admission) policy is in effect. Scott says the best place to take in the races is the Henley Grandstand off Main Street in Port Dalhousie.
Originally, the race was 1 mile and 550 yards long, the same distance as the Henley Royal Regatta in England at the time. The pond was an ideal location because the level of the water could be controlled. Wooden grandstands were built, and in 1947
In 1964, the distance was changed to 2000 metres, the current standard distance for international competition. The facilities were completely redone in 1966, and in 1972,
In 1999, the facilities were again updated for the World Rowing Championships. The same can be said for the 2022 Canada Games and 2024 World Rowing Championships.
Scott says the biggest issue year after year is one out of his control .
“It’s the weather. Weather here in Niagara in August is absolutely crazy. Not so much the heat, I’m really more concerned about electrical (storms).
Anything electrical we have to take the boats off the water, Sometimes we have to take 100 boats off the water at the same time. I remember we pulled (100) them all off in 11 minutes. It was amazing to see.
Rescheduling because of weather can be very problematic. It’s a logistics nightmare.”
So what makes the sport of rowing, and waking up at 4 am everyday so appealing?
Scott has been rowing since Grade 7, and some five-plus decades later is still involved.
“It’s the calmness of it all. The dark to light of it all,” Scott said. “Getting that rush, that high, when 98 or 99-percent of the population is missing it all while still sleeping is very, very, special.”
Racing starts at 8 am everyday and wraps up at 7 pm throughout the week. The finals begin Friday night.
For more information at the 141 annual Royal Canadian Henley Regatta visit henleyregatta.ca
Rod Mawhood is a lifelong Niagara native who has had the pleasure of working in all three mediums – Radio, Print and TV – for over 20 years. His first announcing gig was with the then St. Catharines Stompers. Since then he’s worked in radio and TV in Toronto, and currently is the announcer for the Niagara IceDogs and Niagara River Lions.
Rod also covers the Buffalo Bills for FOX Sports and the Buffalo Sabres for NBC Sports.
