The Sudbury Rowing Club is a non-profit organization that is run solely by a dedicated group of volunteers. It is home to an average of one hundred recreational rowers each year. The majority of members fall into the Masters category: 27+ in age. In addition, a high school program runs for an eight week period each spring, with fifty to sixty teenagers participating from five area schools. Early in September, sixty to seventy students from Laurentian University arrive at the club and row for about four weeks, weather permitting. September 2007 saw the launch of an Interuniversity program for experienced rowers attending the University.

In response to an inquiry from Minna Mettinen-Kelkianen in the autumn of 2006, the club’s executive began researching the feasibility of an adaptive rowing program being offered at this facility. A club member volunteered to begin training as an Adaptive Rowing Coach, and in May 2007, our first adaptive athlete experienced the thrill of rowing on Lake Ramsey. An expanded version of this successfull program was offered in 2008. Please contact the Adaptive program’s Coordinator for further details.

The boathouse is approximately 2000 square feet and houses a relatively small fleet: four carbon fiber eights, three carbon fiber fours, one wooden four, and one carbon fiber double. Two single training shells, as well as a brand new WinTech adaptive rowing shell round out the club’s boats. Several privately owned singles and doubles are housed inside the clubhouse as well. The Havel, a wooden touring quad, is currently on loan to us from RowOntario.

While this current location is a great improvement from the original fenced in  outdoor storage compound of the nineties, our club has quickly outgrown the Elizabeth Street building in a short time. The club shares the site with the Sudbury Canoe Club and the Sudbury Dragon Boat Festival  organizers. As a result of these three groups trying to operate in such cramped quarters, discussions and planning took place amongst the clubs in 2006, with the result being a proposal to City Council in 2007 for a new facility. In response, City Council gave its approval for the erection of the Northern Water Sports Centre in conjunction with $250,000.00 seed money. The Centre is to be built on the south shore of Lake Ramsey, just east of the Sudbury Yacht Club. Fundraising efforts were kicked off in April 2008 with Xstrata Mining Company's Sudbury operations generously donating a $1,000,000.00 cheque to the cause. It is hoped that the six million dollar project will be completed by 2011.