2022 was a very busy year for Rowing Prince Edward Island with a team of ten competitors heading to the Canada Summer Games in the Niagara Region in August, and the introduction of new programming around increasing diversity, as part of the Community Sport for All Initiative.
Indoor Rowing 2022
The year started with Indoor Rowing Day in Canada in February. There were still COVID restrictions in many parts of the country, including here on Prince Edward Island. But we had a good group taking part, including many of our Canada Games rowers and their families! Thanks also to Mary MacLean and Verna Ryan for hosting an event at the TCAP facility in Montague.
In April 2022, the Canada Games rowers took part in our first ever Ergathon fundraiser. Teams Red and Green raced for 21 kilometres for PEI bragging rights! They raised $3,500 towards the purchase of 6 pairs of Concept 2 oars to help them prepare for the Canada Games. Thanks to their friends and families for supporting the team.
Celebrating new boats in 2022!
In June, we celebrated two new racing shells for the Canada Games rowers! Their fundraising efforts raised $24,000 towards a new double, Brackley Bullet and a new single, Tippy Tippy. We are grateful to all of our sponsors and supporters in 2022: Arsenault Bros Construction, Cooke Insurance, Brown’s Volkswagen, Cymbria Lions Club, Robbie Shaw and Shaw’s Hotel, PEI government, Legacy Fund and Sport PEI. THANK YOU! #grateful #supporters
Another of our favourite memories of 2022 was the debut of the “Betty Smith”, our newest coastal single. She was donated to Rowing PEI by Claude Maurice, in honour of his late wife Betty Smith, who learned to row on the North River in Charlottetown. Claude lives in B.C. but was planning a trip back to P.E.I this summer to visit family. One thing led to another, and we have a wonderful new member and a very special new boat. #rowingmemories2022 #bettysmith #thankful
Crew 22: Summer of 2022
We had a great new summer rowing program for new juniors called Crew 22.
They went from Learn to Row to competing at the Red Island Regatta in just 8 weeks!!
FUN FACT: There were TWO sets of twins!
Diversity and equity are a major focus for Sport Canada and Rowing Canada Aviron. In 2022, we were fortunate enough to receive more than $42,000 in funding, which allowed us to purchase some new equipment, including a new coastal double and two indoor rowing machines, and helped cover the costs of our summer and winter programming. Our Crew 22 received national recognition, including at the recent RCA conference in Victoria, B.C.
Whistle Days 2022
One of the best parts of any rowing season is getting to see new members succeed! Congrats to everyone who got their whistle in 2022 and graduated to become an L2. Proud of all of you! #learntorow2022 #whistles2022
Another great highlight was a best ever performance by our Canada Games rowing team in August 2022. Hard work paid off with personal bests for everyone. What great memories!
Thanks to our coaches, parents, support staff, everyone who helped them get to the Games, especially head coach Chantelle Hanley who spent much of the summer here on P.E.I. or traveling with the team.
Red Island Regatta 2022
We celebrated the return of the Red Island Regatta on the beautiful Brudenell River, with competitors from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Ontario joining us for the first time since 2019. Thanks to all of our volunteers, sponsors, spectators, officials and rowers. We can’t wait to do it again August 26 and 27, 2023!!
And then there was Fiona….
In September, everyone rallied to help us move the boats to safety as post-tropical storm Fiona approached. We lost some small pieces of equipment at the barn at Brackley, which sustained extensive damage. Fortunately, our new dock stayed more or less in place and was brought to shore after the storm.
It wasn’t the end to the season that we were hoping for, but everyone was safe and that is what matters.
After a short break, we hit the indoor rowing machines at Kinetic Fitness, with a group of juniors and another of adults, as part of our 2022-2023 I-Crew program.
Looking ahead to 2023
We continue to grow our pool of coaches and umpires!
Would you like to become an umpire? Please contact our umpire coordinator, Mary-Lynne Bruvels to find out more.
Want to become a coach? Reach out to Nancy at rowingpei@gmail.com
We are excited for what 2023 will bring as our Hillsborough Boathouse project takes shape, thanks to an exciting new committee including David Arsenault and Stephen Murray.
There are a few other new initiatives we hope to launch very soon! Stay tuned.
We are looking forward to another great year of growing our sport in 2022.
We hope you will join us…and tell your friends and family about us!!
The board of Rowing Prince Edward Island
