About us
The Kingston Rowing Club (KRC), located on Kingston’s Inner Harbour, welcomes athletes of all ages and experience levels.
The Kingston Rowing Club strives to promote and develop rowing at all levels in Kingston. We focus on excellence in coaching, competition, and recreation, as well as fostering community involvement in the sport.
Contact information:
Address: 1 Cataraqui St, Kingston, ON K7K 1Z7
Email: info@kingstonrowing.com
Club history
The idea for a community rowing club in Kingston began in 1976, following an article in the Queen’s Alumni Review that explored the future of rowing at Queen’s. Two former rowers, Ian McFarlane and John Armitage, responded by offering their support. That fall, a series of meetings—chaired by Michael Davies, publisher of The Whig Standard—brought together local interest and helped assess the viability of a club serving Kingston and the surrounding area.
Those efforts led to the formal founding of the Kingston Rowing Club at City Hall on February 2, 1977. Michael Davies was elected President, with John Armitage as Secretary and Terry Kelly as Treasurer.
By April of that year, a novice men’s and women’s eight from KCVI were training daily on the Inner Harbour, using an old Pocock shell purchased from Princeton University. Equipment was stored in the Whig Standard newsprint warehouse at the end of a laneway off Rideau Street at Cataraqui Street. Just a few months later, the club celebrated its first major success with a gold medal in the women’s eight at the Ontario Summer Games in Kitchener.
The club continued to grow quickly. On May 28, 1978, Kingston hosted its first major regatta—the Eastern Rowing Association High School Championships. The following year, on May 27, 1979, sod was turned for a new clubhouse at Orchard Street Park during the second annual Kingston regatta. The new shell house officially opened on May 25, 1980.
Since its founding, the Kingston Rowing Club has grown into a lasting part of the community. Kingston and Queen’s rowers have earned gold medals at every level of competition, from local regattas to the Olympics. Today, rowing is firmly established in the city, with more than 1,000 participants launching each year from a 9,000-square-foot boathouse at Orchard Street Park, home to approximately sixty shells.
Over the years, countless people in Kingston have discovered and embraced rowing—what Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics, once called “the most beautiful exercise there is.”
Core Values
The core values that guide the KRC to meet this goal include:
Rower-centered: All activities are designed to best serve the interests of all our athletes
Inclusive: We are inclusive and welcoming to individuals from all backgrounds and abilities.
Ethical: Integrity and inclusivity guide the actions of all our members.
Respect: We respect the rights and responsibilities of all members of the greater rowing community.
Fun: We promote a sense of fun and excitement in all our programs.
