Rowing

Ben TeKamp

Inducted into the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame: June 11th, 2005

Ben TeKamp has been involved in rowing since the age of 18 at the Brockville Rowing Club. While he was active in the administrative duties of the club, along with serving at the Provincial and National level for more than 25 years, he is best known for being a rowing official.

Since 1975, he has officiated at regional, provincial, national and international competitions. Including the Pan-Am Games, the Commonwealth Games, the World Championships and the Olympics. He has received numerous Provincial and Canadian awards for his long-time involvement and dedication to the sport of rowing.

Betty Craig

Inducted into the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame: June 8, 1995

While she enjoyed skiing and basketball, Betty Craig made a name for herself in International Rowing. After learning the sport at The Brockville Rowing Club, Craig embarked on a rowing career that spanned 13 years at the National and world level. She played on three Olympic teams and participated in numerous World Championships.

When Craig retired, she had earned six medals from Olympic and World Championships, the most by any Canadian at that time and was called one of the best female rowers in the world.

After a brief retirement, Craig returned to win the Canadian Championship again in 1987 before retiring for good. Craif was honoured as Canada’s Outstanding Rower in 1982 and received the Sport Excellence Award from the Government of Canada in the 1982, 1983 and 1984 Tribute to Champions.

Bill Tooker

Inducted into the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame: June 15th, 2001

Bill Tooker grew up in Brockville and attended local schools. Played all minor sports, baseball, hockey and at B.C.I., football and basketball. Bill began rowing in 1945 and in 1947, rowed at the Canadian Henley. Served on the executive for 12 years, president 1968, 69 and 71. It was during his presidency that the B.R.C. became incorporated.

Bill was a chartered member of the B.R.C. “Old Boys Association” 1960. He became a licensed Canadian Referee in 1967 and a licensed International Judge in 1970. Bill would represent Canada as a judge at 5 world rowing championships, 1 Olympics, 1 Pan-American Games and 1 Northwest International Regatta. He also officiated at 14 Canadian Henleys, 8 Canadian and 8 Ontario Championships.

He trained and licensed Canadian Referees for 5 years. In 1980, he received the “Centennial Medal” in honour of the 100th Anniversary of the Canadian Association of Amateur Oarsmen, now called Rowing Canada. In 1994, Bill Tooker received a 50-year pin.

Craig Swayze

Inducted into the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame: June 9th, 2017

Craig Swayze grew up in Brockville in the mid-1940s, rowing and winning a gold medal in the Junior Lightweight four at the 1947 Canadian Henley. While he played other sports, his first love was rowing, and he became heavily involved in that when he moved to St. Catherines as a sports reporter. He covered rowing for more than 40 years. He also became involved in the International Rowing Federation. Was Chairman of the North American Championships. Then served on the committee for the World Championships in St. Catherines in 1970 and 1999. He led the way to upgrade the rowing course in St. Catherine’s, helping make it a world-class facility that attracts National and International Regattas. Craig Swayze died in 2000.

Dolores Young

Inducted into the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame: June 13th, 2014

Dolores Young began rowing in Brockville at the age of 17. She competed for Canada at the age of 19 in the Olympic Summer games in Montreal in 1976 and Los Angeles in 1984. Over a 10-year period from 1976 to 1986. She won rowing championships at every level from Provincial to Canadian to International.

Her coaching career began in 1985 in Brockville, but then she moved to Toronto to Winnipeg. She became the Executive Director of Rowing Manitoba and coached a Canadian team in International Regattas in 2002.

She has coached Championship Crews at the High School level in New Brunswick since 2005 and for the Province’s rowing teams at the Canada Summer Games in 2009 and 2013.

Frank “Ike” Ritchie

Inducted into the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame: June 15th, 2012

Frank “Ike” Ritchie had established himself in Canadian sporting circles as an outstanding all-around athlete. He was proficient in many sports but earned most fame in football and rowing.

In football, he was a valued member of the Brockville Club when they defeated Toronto for the Ontario Intermediate Crown by lost the Dominion Championship to McGill University. The team won the Quebec Rugby Football Union Title in 1900 when Mr.Ritchie was considered the outstanding “Wing” in Canadian football. In hockey, Mr.Ritchie was captain of the town’s first team and also captain of the lacrosse club. He was a member of the Brockville Rowing Crew that established the national U.S. Title in Philadelphia. In 1898, rowing in the Canadian Henley. They ran the course in 8.25 minutes. Mr.Ritchie was also a member of the Brockville Club, canoe crew and active golfer.

James MacLaren

Inducted into the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame: June 9th, 2017

James MacLaren was the son of one of the founding members of the Brockville Rowing Club, and he served on its board of directors for more than 40 years. He was President of the BRC in 1926. In 1933, he was one of four Brockville Citizens who assumed ownership of the BRC to avoid foreclosure by the Province of Ontario. He provided the club with leadership, stability and motivation to succeed in 1960. He became the first BRC member to become the President of the Canadian Association of Amateur Oarsmen.

He helped raise funds to hire the club’s first coach in 1947 and was a generous supporter of the club for his entire life. He was awarded the club’s highest honour. The award of merit before he died in 1965.

Jane Pal

Inducted into the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame: June 14th, 2019

Jane Pal began her athletic career as a swimmer at the Brockville Aquatic Club in the mid-1960s. She turned to rowing in 1974, had success in Canadian and American Championships. In 1976, she was named to the Canadian National Team and earned a spot in the women’s eight for the debut of women’s rowing in the Summer Olympic Games in Montreal.

She continued as a member of the National team until 1979, when a severe wrist injury ended her rowing career. Jane played community college basketball for Mohawk College, earning special All-Star and MVP Awards in the early 1980s. In 1985, she returned to master’s swimming competitions in Brockville. She has been coaching with the Masters Swim Club since 2007.

Jim (James) Earle

Inducted into the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame: June 15th, 2007

Jim was an outstanding athlete who excelled at basketball and discovered rowing. He competed at the Canadian Schoolboy Championships for five consecutive years, winning 1 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze medals. He rowed competitively for 16 years, competing at three world championships. He stroked the four to the petite final win in Nottingham, England in 1975. Jim won four Canadian Henley Titles in three different decades: 1969, 1971, 1974 and 1981. During his 16-year career, Jim helped his team win over 100 races worldwide. After rowing, the sport of running would become his passion. He has been racing competitively for 25 years and has 390 wins or age group placings.

Besides coaching himself, Jim has also coached numerous high school teams for 25 years. Some of his many accomplishments include taking his cross country team to OFSSA 6 of the last 9 years, 3 EOSSA Championships in boys basketball and several trips to OFSSA in track.

Moe Cody

Inducted into the Brockville and District Hall of Fame, June 13th, 2008.

Moe Cody was an accomplished “Lettered” athlete in his junior and senior years at BCI. He joined the Brockville Rowing Club in the early 1950’s and was part of the 1956 Henley Crew representing Brockville and Canada at the Royal Henley Regatta in England. He was the first oarsmen at the B R C to achieve an American scholarship at Rollins College. His crew achieved Florida State championships and in 1958-59 achieved the Small College Championship at the National College Championship League.

Moe moved to Halifax in the early 1970’s from Montreal and was instrumental in rejuvenating rowing in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. He helped establish a new regatta, the Nova Scotia Sprints, a popular International Regatta to this day. In 2003 he received an award of merit for long and meritorious service by Rowing Canada. Moe has been recognized for his long term involvement as an official by Rowing Canada, Sport Nova Scotia and the Canadian Amateur rowing Association.

He has teamed up with fellow Hall of Famers Bill Tooker and Ben Tekamp at Provincial and National Regattas.