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Rideau Canoe Club

Rideau Canal (where Queen Elizabeth Drive meets Fifth Avenue)

Written by Bytown Museum on 03/Dec/2009

A photograph of the Rideau Canoe Club, c. 1906

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the banks of the Rideau Canal in downtown Ottawa were dotted with wooden boathouses. One of the more impressive boathouses belonged to the Rideau Canoe Club (RCC), located along the canal where Queen Elizabeth Driveway meets Fifth Avenue. Members of the club, which formed in 1902, enjoyed canoeing, motorboating and tennis.

In 1936, club member Frank Amyot won the gold medal for the 1,000-metre single-blade canoe event at the Olympic Games in Germany. He was the first Canadian to win an Olympic gold medal in paddling.

During World War II, the club was almost shut down, as members were focused on the war effort. Shortly after the war ended, the RCC moved to Mooney's Bay where it continues to provide training for sprint racing canoeing and kayaking.

Did you know that the Rideau Canoe Club was once known as the Rideau Aquatic Club?


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I and my family lived at the Rideau aquatic Club from the years 1925 to 1933. My dad was the caretaker and we lived there each of the above years from May 1st to October. Our living quarters was on the top floor. A wood or coal stove was in the kitchen. Two bedrooms and a dining room.The motor boat section burnt down during the early 30's.The club finally fell because the water was left in the canal one year and the ice finally destroyed enough pilings that the building was demolished. The lower section (water level) was the canoe storage area along with a canteen. The main floor was a large hall and many dances were held there. A veranda ran along outside the dance area. The area where the restaurant is located was a grass area and a gasoline pump was located at the water edge. It was one of the old type that had a large glass top which was filled by pulling the handle on the side. The glass was marked in gallons down its side. Being young at the time I remember the fun of being aroun

john dillon, Wednesday, September 15, 2010

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