Fort William Rowing Club Junior Fours (1951)
Fort William Rowing Club Junior Fours (1951) was a junior rowing crew from Fort William that won a championship at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta in 1951. The team was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.[1]
Overview
Season
The crew achieved its initial victory during the 36th annual Northwestern International Rowing Association Regatta, which took place in Fort William on July 20, 1951. Participating in the Senior Light Four (150 lbs.) category, the Fort William Rowing Club group faced a team from Minneapolis. They finished the race with a lead of two boat lengths over their competitors.[1]
Following this local success, the team traveled to Port Dalhousie to compete on the Welland Canal for the 69th annual Royal Canadian Henley Regatta. After successfully navigating the qualifying heats, the crew advanced to the finals. In the championship race, they competed against the Detroit Rowing Club and the Wyandotte Boat Club from Michigan.[1]
The Fort William crew secured a dominant win in the finals, finishing 10 open lengths ahead of the second-place team. They recorded a winning time of 7 minutes and 23.2 seconds. This achievement represented the first time a crew from Northwestern Ontario won this specific event and only the second time a local crew had ever earned a gold medal at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta.[1]
Roster
The names below come from the Hall of Fame profile and its team photograph caption.[1]
| Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jack McDonald | bow | |
| Emil Charban | player | |
| Leonard Lundberg | player | |
| Bill Stavert | stroke |
Honours and achievements
- Winners of the Senior Light Four (150 lbs.) event at the 36th Annual Northwestern International Rowing Association Regatta
- Champions at the 69th Annual Royal Canadian Henley Regatta in the Junior Fours category
- Second crew from Northwestern Ontario to ever win a Henley gold medal[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "Fort William Rowing Club Junior Fours", team profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/team-profile/ebf53daa-d3f9-4399-bb84-8d0ed361cc26 (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.