The NRC was founded in 1896 and a floating boat house was built two years later on the lakeshore near the foot of Josephine Street. By 1901, it was a thriving club with both men and women rowing in sliding seat sculls, and competing in regattas throughout the Pacific North West. It continued to operate until 1939 when the boat house was damaged beyond repair in a storm on the lake.

Thirty years later, the club was revived by Hank Barone and another floating boat house was constructed. In 1971 Nelson hosted the Pan-Am Trials for the Canadian team selection and during the 1970’s and 1980’s Nelson rowers competed across the country with great success. Membership slowly declined until 1987, when the arrival in Nelson of a former French national team member, Dominique Preney, resulted in the club’s rejuvenation.

Despite the loss of the club’s second boat house in an ice storm shortly after his arrival, thanks to him and Kim Shea , a St. Catherines rower who also moved to the area in the mid 1980’s, the NRC has prospered. We now have a large, land based boat house (having learnt the lesson of the past 100 years that floating boat houses eventually sink) capable of holding Fours and Eights, an adjacent 80 ft. long boat launching dock with an access ramp, 9 racing shells, 2 recreational singles, 1 touring quad, two coach boats and a membership that has been as high as 70.

Our focus on the future is to acquire Fours and eventually Eights so that we can extend our program into the high schools and broaden our adult membership base.

We have every confidence that the Nelson Rowing Club’s second century will be even more successful than the first.