Rowing Canada Proposal

 

Rowing Canada is looking for a home for its new national training centre, and North Cowichan hopes that it will be in the Cowichan Valley, centred around Quamichan Lake.

In late 2017, Rowing Canada conducted a strategic review to determine what is needed to achieve its vision of “repeated multi-podium and gold medal performances.” The review recommended that Rowing Canada establish a single training facility for its athletes and select a facility site by inviting proposals from communities across Canada (see Rowing Canada's website).

North Cowichan is one of a few communities across the country vying for Rowing Canada’s interest. Proposals are due in mid-September and Rowing Canada expects to annouce their decision in October-November 2018. RCA’s goal is for a national training centre to be functional by late 2020.

The proposal will centre around year-round access to the water, convenient access to Quamichan Lake and space for a boathouse facility at Art Mann Park, a community that is passionate about sports, great family amenities, and relatively affordable living.

The Municipality has undertaken preliminary consultations with various stakeholders in preparation for this proposal. If Rowing Canada selects North Cowichan for its national training centre, the Municipality will seek community and stakeholder input on details such as the layout/design for Art Mann Park, the location of a buoyed course on Quamichan Lake, and designated times for Rowing Canada to use the Lake. 

Like many shallow urban lakes, Quamichan Lake experiences blue-green algae blooms periodically during the summertime. North Cowichan has recently engaged a local biologist and researchers from the BC Institute of Technology to sample water in the Lake and develop recommendations for Council's consideration. Recommendations are expected in Spring 2019. More info here. 

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