COVID-19 made it ‘impractical’ to go ahead with premier rowing event
This year is shaping up to be a washout for national rowing championships at Martindale Pond in St. Catharines.
First, the annual Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association (CSSRA) regatta was postponed until at least June 2021. On Monday, the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, the premier event at the rowing course, was also cancelled due to COVID-19.
The 138th edition of what started in 1880 as the first championship for the newly formed Canadian Amateur Rowing Association had been set to take place Aug. 2 to 9. It has been postponed to Aug. 1 to 8, 2021.
The cancellation was announced jointly by the Royal Canadian Henley
Joint Commission and its partners, Rowing Canada Aviron (RCA) and the Canadian Henley Rowing Corp. (CHRC).
“It is with much sadness and regret that the Henley commission has agreed that the 2020 regatta must be cancelled,” commissioner Bill Schenck said. “The decision has weighed heavily on the commission.”
It was considered “impractical” to go ahead with the regatta, given restrictions outlined by national and provincial health authorities.
“It was a difficult decision to make but a necessary one for the safety of the athletes, as well as the many local volunteers who run this event,” said RCA president Carol Purcer, a St. Catharines native who chaired the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta for seven years, from 2003 to ’09.
“While we know it will be disheartening for many of the rowers from around the world, we look forward to reuniting with everyone when it is safe to do so,” Purcer added.
CHRC president Wayne Dick said, while cohosting Henley is the highlight of the year for the corporation’s volunteers: “We recognize, without hesitation, that the cancellation of the regatta is the right thing to do.
“The safety of our athletes and volunteers is the first consideration. We look forward to 2021,” he said.
St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik called the Royal Canadian Henley another example of how the pandemic has changed daily lives in the community.
“We’ve seen many events we treasure, like the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, affected, but protecting the health and safety of our community is the priority,” he said.
Last year, a total of 138 rowing clubs, including five from Niagara and seven from outside North America, were registered to compete at a world-class regatta in which only gold medals are awarded.