The Boathouse

• Location – 7277 River Road, Richmond, on the Middle Arm of the Fraser River, 400m upriver from the Olympic Oval.
• Structure – 1256sm (13,633 sq ft) two story floating structure. The Main floor will contain storage for 85 shells (boats). The second floor will house offices, changing rooms and a 120 person function room. There will be 950sm (10,000 sq ft) of dock space
• Name - Named in memory of John M.S. Lecky, UBC rower and rugby player.
• Construction - Commenced in Fall 2005 with completion scheduled for July 2006
• Funding – This project is funded by donations. Funding has been raised from 50 of the family and friends of the late John M.S. Lecky, St. Georges School, approximately 100 UBC Alumni, Dr. Don Rix, Province of British Columbia, corporations and foundations, as well as private individual supporters. UBC is providing infrastructure support.
• Lease – The City of Richmond is providing a long term property lease at nominal rent

Rowing course

• Over 5 km of water for training
• Potential for Head Races (time trials) of over 3.5 km distance
• Excellent water for the Richmond Dragonboat Festival
• Uninterrupted viewing of the whole course from the dyke

History

UBC rowing is Canada’s most successful varsity program. With more than 49 Olympic medals to its credit, countless Commonwealth Games and Pan-Am Games championships, World Championships and Royal Henley medals it has long been the envy of other Canadian University programs.

For the past 25 years, however, many of these accomplishments have come without a proper home and training facility.

More than five years ago, a group of UBC rowing alumni formed the Gold for Life Campaign – with a mandate to build a permanent home for UBC and community rowing. In five years the vision has grown to encompass UBC, St. George’s School and the community members of the City of Richmond. The impact of what once was a small Boathouse for the crews of UBC has now become something much, much larger.

A truly national impact

In 2004, three UBC athletes, Ben Rutledge, Richmond’s Kyle Hamilton, and Rob Wietermeyer represented Canada at the Olympic Games in Athens. These rowers, all of whom rowed for UBC, are accomplishing success internationally without having a proper rowing facility in the Lower Mainland. Imagine their future successes once the John M.S. Lecky UBC Boathouse is built and operational in Richmond!

The John M.S. Lecky UBC Boathouse will be that facility. Set on the banks of the Middle Arm of the Fraser River in Richmond, just 15 minutes from the UBC campus, the Boathouse will provide the perfect home for Richmond community programs while being the ideal place for UBC, Richmond and area high school rowing programs.

A centre of excellence, open year-round, that will enable members of the community the opportunity to meet and train on the finest rowing water in the Lower Mainland, while offering study space for athletes and social space vital to the facility’s self-sustaining business model.

The rowers of the John M.S. Lecky UBC Boathouse will represent their country, at Royal Henley Regattas, World University Games, World Championships, Commonwealth Games and, like Ben, Kyle, and Rob, the Olympic Games. The impact will be local, provincial national and international. 

A legacy for Rowing and Paddling

The John M.S. Lecky UBC Boathouse will be a self-sustaining facility. Upon completion, it will, through fee for service, allow the development and implementation of rowing and paddling programs from beginner to elite.

The fee for service model will allow youth and varsity users a reduced rate of use for the facility – based on recreational use and rental of recreational space. 

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