Rowing Canada CEO resigns just months before Paris Olympics

Rowing Canada CEO Terry Dillon of Victoria has resigned on the relative eve of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The national team is based on Quamichan Lake in North Cowichan.

“This is one of the hardest decisions I have ever made but I know it is the right one at the right time for me,” Dillon said in a statement.

“I took this job to make a difference and I am proud of what we have achieved.”

Pointing to his seven years at the helm, Dillon added: “Together with our community, we navigated a global pandemic, through the Community Sport for All program, we opened the doors of our boathouses a little wider and invited over 4,000 Canadians from underrepresented groups to try rowing for the first time.”

There were also controversies during the time, notably the dismissal of head coach Dave Thompson in 2020, after rower complaints. That led to a review in 2022 of the culture surrounding the national team on the Island.

“We have done much of the hard work that was needed to elevate the athletes’ voice, address power imbalances, and shift the culture in our national team programs,” said Dillon.

Dillon’s resignation takes effect June 30. The Paris Olympics begin July 26. But the work on the water is pretty much done with two crews, including the defending Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion women’s eight, qualified for the 2024 Summer Games and two crews selected for the last-chance Paris Olympic qualifying regatta May 19-21 in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Rowing Canada Director of Partnerships and Sport Development Jennifer Fitzpatrick will act as interim CEO as of July 1 pending the hiring of a permanent replacement for Dillon.

“[Dillon] came into his role as CEO with a determination to grow rowing at all levels in Canada and he has definitely moved us forward as a sport and an organization,” Rowing Canada president Carol Purcer said in a statement.

“He has navigated through some very difficult times with a mindset that we can always do better, resulting in some progressive changes.”

Canada has won a rowing medal in every Summer Olympics and 43 in total.