ROWING CANADA AVIRON ANNUAL REPORT 2016 Rowing Canada Aviron Head Office & National Training Centre 321 - 4371 Interurban Road Victoria, B.C,.V9E 2C5 Toll-Free: 1.877.722.4769 | Fax: 1.250.220.2503 National Training Centre 2070 Huron Street London, ON, N5V 5A7 T: 1.519.452.7213 rowingcanada.org facebook.com/rowingcanada | twitter.com/rowingcanada | instagram.com/rowingcanada.org IMAGE CREDITS: Kevin Light: cover page, pages 3, 5 (top), 7 (bottom, left), 11, 12, 13, 22, 23 Canadian Paralympic Committee: page 7 (right) David Jackson: page 10, 16, 17 World Rowing: page 18 Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association: page 18 ROWING CANADA AVIRON ANNUAL REPORT 2016 Table of Contents President’s Report 4 CEO’s Report 6 Treasurer’s Report 8 Provincial Director’s Report 9 2016 Results 10 Committee Report Umpires Committee 25 Safety and Events Committee 26 Royal Canadian Henley Regatta Joint Commission 27 In Recognition 28 Rowing Canada Aviron Board and Organization 29 Appendix 30 Financial Statements ROWING CANADA AVIRON ANNUAL REPORT 2016 President’s Report Mike Walker the membership for approval in January 2017. President, RCA • We continued to progress on building our fundraising strategy, establishing a Fundraising Cabinet and with large strides made in determining the strategy and methods for the Campaign. Some of the other notable policies and activities I am pleased to report to the Membership for the year approved and overseen by the Board during the past year 2016. The end of the Olympic and Paralympic include: quadrennial made 2016 a particularly busy year with • Amended the CARA by-laws to make it easier for intense preparations for the Games, on top of member clubs and associations to register to vote at the significant change throughout the organization. Semi-Annual Meeting; The Rowing Canada Aviron (RCA) Board • Significant work was done to develop a new RCA continued to support a number of areas of strategic focus Strategic Plan for the 2017-2020 period; with progress made across these initiatives. • Launch of the Canadian Rowing Hall of Fame, which saw • The Board approved the conduct of an external review of its first induction ceremony this past summer; and RCA’s High Performance Program in partnership with Own • Revamp of RCA’s Awards program with an Awards pol- the Podium, to identify program improvements for the next icy that significantly streamlined and updated the number quadrennial and beyond. This review has been finalized, and types of national awards. having incorporated lessons from the Rio 2016 Games, There were a number of changes to the Board with the final recommendations approved by the Board in this year with Joel Finlay stepping down early for personal November. reasons. He was replaced for the remainder of his term • RCA has developed a communications plan to provide through September with the appointment of our information to the membership on the review’s Treasurer, Tom Hawker as a Director-at-Large. We thank recommendations and action plan, with information Joel for his service to RCA. We also wish to thank Rick planned to roll out before the National Conference in Crooker, who chose to retire from the Board, for his service January. since 2013 as a Director-at-Large. Rick’s energy has • Our vision for a world class training environment for our helped RCA’s make progress toward getting our major national teams saw the Board approving an approach to fundraising campaign established. At the September establish relationships with local government in the Annual Meeting, Tom was elected to a full two-year term Duncan area as a first step toward potentially establishing as Director-at-Large, along with new Board member Ian a new National Training Centre in that area. Gordon; and we welcome back Carol Purcer upon • RCA revamped the National Rowing Championships re-election as Provincial Director. Tom and Ian both bring (NRC) format beginning in 2016, and with the awarding extensive private sector experience, Tom as a managing of the NRCs and Canada Cup to Burnaby for a four-year partner of a firm of Chartered Accountants, and Ian having period, we have seen the start of strong local support and built successful IT companies. Each also brings a wealth opportunity for improvement on the regatta year over year, of volunteer leadership experience in both rowing and starting with a very successful first event in September. other endeavours. • RCA’s Membership Category Review Working Group And speaking of leadership change, we are very continued with extensive member consultation over the pleased with the hiring of Terry Dillon as the new Chief year following a vote of support by the membership at the Executive Officer of RCA. Terry comes to RCA with a Semi-Annual Meeting in January 2016 and refined their passion for the development and advancement of rowing recommendations, with a final proposal to be presented to in Canada as both a former athlete and sport leader. His — 4 — proven experience in management, Olympic Committee in August. Also, the BW2-, Ben de Wit, Andrew education and sport will support the as the President of the Canadian Stewart-Jones and Kevin Chung in the achievement of our strategic goals Olympic Committee (COC), she has M2+ and Kate Sauks in the LW1x. and benefit both RCA and Canadian taken concrete actions to address the Finally, on behalf of everyone rowing moving forward. We’re thrilled issues identified in the Independent associated with RCA, I would like to to welcome Terry to Rowing Canada Review, which I can see is rebuilding thank Donna Atkinson for her service and look forward to working with him. confidence in the organization. I also to our organization as she prepares to On the international front, want to thank the COC for the retire. Donna’s tireless efforts as the FISA continues to focus on how to financial support they have provided CEO of RCA have served to support the International Olympic RCA this year through National Sport strengthen Canadian rowing at all Committee’s Agenda 2020, Federation initiatives for our levels, with contributions to RCA and particularly as it relates to universality fundraising initiative and to hire expert sport that run deep and will leave a and equality. human resources support for our CEO lasting imprint. She has worked Discussions and workshops at search. tirelessly for the past seven years the March 2016 National Federations Our National Teams had a leading our organization, first as meeting were particularly influential very busy year with the Olympic and RCA’s Executive Director and for the in developing the final proposals that Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, past few years as CEO. I have been have been published before the final and a very large contingent attending very privileged to have been able to vote in Tokyo in February 2017. RCA the combined World Championship in work closely with her over the past has provided detailed feedback on Rotterdam. The summer’s highlights five years through my various roles on both the governance and technical were the Olympic silver medal won by the Board and will miss our frequent proposals at each stage, including a the LW2x of Lindsay Jennerich and calls. joint proposal with Australia, Denmark Patricia Obee and the Paralympic It continues to be an honour to and Switzerland this fall to replace the bronze won by the LTAMixed4+ of serve as President of RCA and I look M4- with the LW4- in order to have Curtis Halladay, Meghan forward to working together with the gender balance and to maintain Montgomery, Victoria Nolan, Andrew RCA Member Clubs and Associations, lightweight rowing in support of Todd and Kristen Kit – Canada’s RCA’s new CEO and his staff, and universality. first Paralympic rowing medal. The the many Volunteers across Canada We continue to be proud of combined World Championships saw toward achieving our vision to be the Canadian rowing’s own Tricia Smith, Canada capture three more medals, leading rowing nation in the world. who was elected to the International Nicole Hare and Hillary Janssens in — 5 — ROWING CANADA AVIRON ANNUAL REPORT 2016 CEO’s Report Since 2009, I have had the improve RCA’s ability to track pleasure of working with and reporting member participation and to Rowing Canada Aviron members. engagement patterns. This move As I approach my retirement at the would bring RCA on par with many upcoming Semi-Annual Meeting, I’d other sports and rowing nations in like to focus on the changes, terms of system and technology challenges and opportunities that we capacity that will serve the have worked towards together during organization and its members well in my time at RCA. the long term. One of the biggest changes Evolving from RCA’s early has been to the governance model work on Long Term Athlete and structure of RCA. This was a Development, the new RCA Athlete Donna Atkinson significant transition for the Development Pathway now provides Chief Executive Officer, RCA organization and with much input and a strong and consistent framework support from our members, the new for coach and athlete improvement model is working well. I have across the country. While it has been appreciated the work and support a long haul, we have worked over of RCA’s Board and our new Board the last year to remove some of the Committees – Human Resources, stumbling blocks within our Coaching Nominations and Audit. The Provincial Development program. Advisory Council under the leadership Through the commitment and of Carol Purcer has been a pleasure perseverance of our staff and to work with and continues to provide volunteers, RCA now has a clear valuable input to the Board and to Coach Development Pathway, was staff.