Brockville, ON (December 15, 2020) – A timely and significant grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) in late 2019 was pivotal to ensuring the Brockville Rowing Club (BRC) made it through a tough 2020. The Club used its $145,00 Capital grant to buy new equipment which made it possible for a late-season return to on-water training.
“I’m so pleased the Ontario Trillium Foundation made this $145,000 investment to support the Brockville Rowing Club and its dedicated athletes and volunteers in their continued pursuit of excellence and promotion of healthy, active lifestyles. These funds help ensure the Club can continue to provide opportunities for young people to discover the sport of rowing and experience the thrill of competition, personal growth and lifelong relationships they have been providing to area families, including my own, for generations,” said Steve Clark, MPP for Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes
The original reason for the purchase of smaller boats was to reflect the direction of the national rowing program toward small boat skills training. The OTF grant enabled BRC to purchase two new singles and three new doubles, as well as five new coach boats, necessary to replace the club’s aging fleet and to ensure athlete safety on the water.
“Without the OTF grant, BRC athletes wouldn’t have had the chance to get on the water this summer,” said Chris Marshall, head coach at the BRC. “The grant funded the purchase of more small boats which enabled us to maintain social distancing measures on the water and meet the COVID-19 protocol requirements outlined by Rowing Canada.”
Like other sports and recreation facilities across Ontario, the BRC was forced to close as part of the province’s efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19. The return to rowing in June was made possible by the work of Rowing Canada Aviron (RCA), and Row Ontario, working in concert with the relevant health authorities.
The BRC, like all Ontario clubs, must follow local, provincial, and federal public health guidelines before making any decisions related to programming. Restrictions have included group size, distancing, and whether activities could take place in or outdoors. The BRC coaches and board worked diligently to ensure all activities remained in compliance with all requirements.
About the Ontario Trillium Foundation: OTF is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. OTF awarded $115 million to 644 projects last year to build healthy and vibrant communities in Ontario. www.otf.ca
About the Brockville Rowing Club: The Brockville Rowing Club (BRC) is a not-for-profit that promotes and develops rowing at all levels, focusing on excellence across recreation, competitive and coaching programs. For over 125 years, the BRC has promoted the sport of rowing, with athletes competing at the provincial, national and international level. The BRC offers on-water and indoor training facilities for athletes and club members, including a state-of-the-art gym for year-round training, including strength, cardio and erg workouts. For more information: info@brockvillerowingclub.com
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Media Contact:
info@brockvillerowingclub.com | (613) 342-4849
Brockville Rowing Club
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