Club Open for the 2023 Rowing Season!

On-Water Training Postponed

Although the Club is open, with the current state of the river and the forecasted water height for this week all on-water training has been postponed until April 29th. Any and all updates between now and the next newsletter will be shared on the club's Discord Server. Haven't heard of Discord? Keep reading for more info!

You can learn more, and download Discord on their website: https://discord.com/



Join our Discord Server by clicking the button below to be a part of our growing ORC community and stay up to date!

Club Program Rowers

Pre-Season workouts will start May 1st. Indoor sessions will be held on May 1st (6PM), May 3rd (6:00PM), May 7th (8:00AM). 

The season kick off meeting will also be held on Sunday May 7th after the 8:00AM workout. All rowers from the club program are welcome to attend. Further details will be shared via email to the address used for registration. 

ORC Gym Attire

We are thrilled with the new gym space and are excited at how much use it's been getting from members of all the club's programs. Moving forward, we would ask that all gym goers refrain from removing their shirts at any time while training on ORC premises to create a more inclusive environment for all participants. 

Cold Water Rules in Effect!

IMPORTANT! The Cold Water Rules are in effect. These rules must be followed for the time being for your safety on the water!

Cold Water Status: Very Cold (4 degrees) 

• During this time all athletes in all boats are limited to 2k loops between the Alexandra Bridge and turning BEFORE the mouth of the Gatineau River. 
• In the initial few weeks of the season we will be restricted to big boats (4xs, 4s, and 8s) exclusively. 
• All athletes under the age of 19 must bring a PDF in the boat with them for all rows. 
• All rowers must wear visible lights on their person and on the bow of their boat. 
• Crews must be include a minimum of 50% experienced* rowers in the boat. 

*one rowing season

Summer Job & Volunteer Opportunities at the ORC

With the upcoming rowing season just on the horizon, the Ottawa Rowing Club is looking to expand its team of volunteers, in addition to paid opportunities! Head over to our website for volunteer or job opportunities!

Lead Fundraiser

The ORC provides coaching to rowers in competitive or recreational programs, as well as introductions to the sport through Learn-to-Row, summer camps, Everybody Rows Ottawa, and the Adult Rowing League. Local high schools and universities train and race out of the ORC.  

The Assistant Coach will work alongside our team of dedicated volunteer coaches. In this role you will help realize our mission to bring a diverse offering of rowing programming to different stakeholders in the community. Working under the leadership of the head coach you will help to support ORC strategic objectives and make the ORC a powerhouse in Canadian rowing. For more info, click the button below. This position closes soon! If you are interested in this position please get your application in as soon as possible!

Head of the Rideau Committee

Come and be part of the 2023 Head of the Rideau Organizing Committee! Although the season hasn't started, the organization of the Head of the Rideau can start now so that we can ensure this year's Head of the Rideau is a success. The more hands helping, makes less work for all those involved. A lot of the structure is already set in place.

Anyone interested in helping out or just seeing what is involved can join us for a meeting Thursday evening at 6pm, April 27, at the club!

ARL Looking for Volunteers!

The Adult Rowing League, one of the ORC's best attended and most highly reviewed programs, is looking for new and experienced hands to join their ranks. The program is looking for volunteer coaches, race night coordinators, co-organizers and as always sponsors!

If you'd like to be part of one of the most exciting programs at the Ottawa Rowing Club please contact the incredible Jenn Shortall, jennshortall@hotmail.com to learn more!

Welcoming Thomas MacNeil as the New Jr. Men's Coach!

We are excited to welcome Thomas Macneil as the new Jr. Men’s Coach!

Thomas MacNeil, is an experienced coach and teacher, having competed and coached at the university level in both wrestling and rowing. He was a senior national champion in wrestling and represented Canada at international events.

Thomas coached on the international level in wrestling, but is no stranger to coaching a variety of other sports, with coaching certifications in 7 Olympic sports, including rowing, swimming, speed skating and more!

Many athletes who trained with or were coached by Thomas have continued with their sport education, attending over fifty universities across North America. Thomas has also helped athletes compete in the Winter and Summer Olympic Games and has been involved with members of 18 different Olympic sports and their national team programs.

He is looking forward to helping members of the ORC succeed in their goals!

Welcoming Brendan Edge as the New Athlete Representative!

The Athlete Representative is the voice for all athletes at the ORC. They ensure that the needs and perspectives of athletes are heard, and voiced! We are thrilled to have Brendan Edge take on the role!

Special Olympics Ontario (Greater Ottawa Rowing Program)

The ORC is proud to be hosting a Special Olympics Partner Program this summer! If you know anyone who wants to try out a new sport and loves being on the water, spread the word! Individuals of all abilities aged 12 and up are welcome to join. No experience necessary! Program practices will include a combination of dry-land activities and on-water sessions, dependent on weather. Two different sessions will run throughout the summer, on Wednesday evenings and Thursday mornings. For more information on how to register, and dates and session times, click the button below!

Junior Rowers Looking for Host Families at the ORC!

We have two International Students rowing in our Junior Competitive program who are looking for Host Families to support their training! We would love to match them in our rowing community to ensure that their training schedules, nutritional requirements and more are accommodated the best it can be! 

For more information, please contact Kim Krahn, at rowing@ottawarowingclub.com.

PanAm Qualifiers Recap

Over the last weekend, ORC Rowers Anne-Andrée Sirois and Kerin Hudson, competed at the PanAm Qualifiers in Laguna Grande in Chile! Anne-Andrée raced the women's 2x representing El Salvador (flag) and Kerin in the women's 4x representing Canada!

Huge congratulations to Women's 4x, who placed 4th overall and qualified the boat for Canada for October's PanAm Games!

First Aid Training for 2023

The ORC is hosting first aid training on Saturday, May 13th! It is a one day Emergency First Aid Course designed for cold-water environments. Course includes CPR-C and AED certifications, as well as covering patient assessment, basic life support, management of life-threatening injuries, emergency decision-making, and an introduction to cold-water rescue and patient management.

The course will include a classroom and a variety of hands on components. Once again, the course takes place on Saturday May 13th, from 9:00am to 5:00pm. The cost is $95 plus taxes. Those who volunteer as a coach at the ORC will be reimbursed. Click below for details on how to register.

Strategic Planning Committee

At this year’s AGM the ORC Board of Directors announced a plan to pursue a strategic planning initiative for the club, the club is currently looking for members from a variety of our programs who may be interested in supporting or participating in this process. Any interested parties are asked to please email secretary@ottawarowingclub.com.

Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Committee

ORC is forming an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee as part of our mission to be more inclusive and promote rowing to all. The committee will report to the ORC board on their plans, submit proposals on how to improve EDI at the club, and help plan events.

If you are interested in joining the committee, send Meghan an email at meghan.jolley@gmail.com

Dock Talk With Daniel Aucoin

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