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ABOUT US
The Ottawa Rowing Club (ORC) founded in 1867 is Canada’s oldest rowing club, a non-profit, volunteer-driven, community organization annually serving members from ages 12-70+ years from the Ottawa and Outaouais region.
The ORC offers Adult Instructional and Youth Day Camp programs to introduce and develop skills. The ORC has Junior, Senior and Master programs that focus on training and competition taking athletes to a number fo regattas across Ontario, Quebec and the US. The club also provides a Recreational program for general fitness in a more social environment. The ORC accommodates adaptive rowing in all programs.
The ORC has a partnership with both Carleton University and uOttawa providing boats for training and competition at OUA Regattas. The Club has aproximately 80 University students rowing out of the Club in the fall.
Click here to read more about our history.
CONTACT US
The Ottawa Rowing Club is located at 10 Lady Grey Drive, off of Sussex Drive opposite the Saudi Embassy just east of downtown Ottawa.
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 1457, Station B
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 5P6
Telephone: 613-241-1120
Club Manager
Email: rowing@ottawarowingclub.com
The Club Manager performs many diverse tasks. Primarily coordinating and communicating all of the activities at the ORC. This role functions to support the coaches, the Board of Directors, Employees and Volunteers. In addition to helping with rowing programming as needed and team travel arrangements, the Manager oversees all special events held by members and guests of the Andy Binda Boathouse. Maintenance of the buildings, equipment and service providers also fall under the responsibility of the administrator.
Head Coach
Zak Lewis
Email: Zak@ottawarowingclub.com
Zak started his rowing career as a novice at St. Francis Xavier University in 2011 where he studied Human Kinetics and quickly fell in love with the sport. By 2014 he moved to St. Catharines to pursue his Masters in Sport Performance at Brock University. He was able to win Gold at the Canadian University National Championships as well as represent Canada at the 2015 World University Games in Gwangju, Korea and the 2016 FISU World Championships in Poznan, Poland!
Zak started his coaching journey at the Antigonish rowing club coaching summer camps and youth learn to row groups. He has since coached at various clubs around Niagara, and moved to Australia in 2018, coaching the Kinross Wolaroi Collegiate U19 women’s 8+ to a gold medal, and the u17 women’s 8+ to silver at the Australian National Championships.
Since returning to Canada, Zak joined the Ottawa Rowing Club as a volunteer coach and Head Coach in 2021, leading the u23 & Senior women’s programs, and has become well decorated with a number of awards including the 2021 HydroOne Ontario Coaching Excellence Award, Rowing Canada’s President’s Award (2022), and RowOntario’s Competitive Coach of the Year (2022).
Zak has lots of plans for the ORC, and believes it is on track to be one of the premier rowing destinations in the country. He hopes to create a competitive, inclusive, and prosperous environment across the rowing community for years to come!
Lead Junior Coach
Meghan Jolley
Email: meg@ottawarowingclub.com
The Lead Junior Coach oversees the Junior programs (Development, Crew and Performance) and works alongside a team of coaches in each level.
Meghan started rowing as a novice in 2017 at Carleton University where she studied Geography. She rowed for 6 years prior to her role as Assistant Coach at ORC, most recently earning two gold medals at the 2022 Royal Canadian Henley Regatta. Her first time coaching was with ARL in 2019 and has coached for ORC, Carleton University and Elmwood School in Ottawa. In 2024, Meghan travelled to Auckland, New Zealand to coach for the Takapuna Grammar School Rowing Club. She enjoys coaching all levels of the sport from Learn to Row to Competitive and everything in between.
PROGRAM CONTACTS
Head Coach
zak@ottawarowingclub.com
Adult Rowing League
arl@ottawarowingclub.com
Recreational Programs
vp.recreation@ottawarowingclub.com
Discover Rowing Camp
rowing@ottawarowingclub.com
Singles Rack Committee
stewart_rower@hotmail.com
Head of the Rideau
rowing@ottawarowingclub.com
Carleton University Rowing
rowcoachfournier@gmail.com
uOttawa Rowing
chair.uorowing@gmail.com
Para Rowing
zak@ottawarowingclub.com
Junior Rowing
meg@ottawarowingclub.com
Senior Men’s Rowing
zak@ottawarowingclub.com
Senior Women’s Rowing
zak@ottawarowingclub.com
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Meet the Board at the Ottawa Rowing Club! The Board is composed of a dedicated group of volunteers who make the ORC one of the best rowing clubs in the world.
President
Craig Law
Email: president@ottawarowingclub.com
The President provides leadership and direction to the Club Organization, establishing long and short term goals with the Board. The President represents the ORC, its members, and alumni with RCA, Row Ontario and other Clubs, in addition to maintaining regular communication with a multitude of representatives relating to Club activities.
Craig began rowing in 1998 at the Thunder Bay Rowing Club. After a year rowing for the Queen’s University Rowing Club, he joined the Ottawa Rowing Club, where he won medals at the Ontario Championships, Royal Canadian Henley and Head of the Charles regattas. In 2006 he began coaching the newly developing Para-Rowing (at the time called Adaptive) and had the honour of coaching for Canada, a mixed TA double, at the first Integrated World Championships at Eton, UK. These days, he occasionally jumps into an 8+ to row.
Vice President Administration
David Jenkins
Email: vp.administration@ottawarowingclub.com
The Vice President Administration understands and adheres to the ORC Operating Guidelines, coordinating programs with the Board as well as applications to acquire grants, bursaries and more to support the Club’s goals. The VP Administration ensures a strong leadership succession by identifying and recruiting new Club volunteers and mentorship.
Vice President Administration, David started his rowing career in high school and rowed competitively for ten years at Hanlan, Kingston and St Catherines in the 1980’s. He raced at major regattas across North America and joined the Canadian National Lightweight Team in 1986 to race in the World Championships in Nottingham, UK. David was a recreational member and coach at the club in the early 1990’s and returned to help out and get on the water again.
Vice President Competitive
Grayson Gray
Email: vp.competitive@ottawarowingclub.com
The Vice President Competitive Programs supports the Head Coach, and competitive coaches, from recruiting volunteers, spending time with other coaches to see where support can be brought, and to help organise ORC hosted regattas. The VP Competitive is part of the safe sport committee and supports the transition of recreational rowers to the competitive programs.
Vice President Competitive, Grayson Gray started rowing in 2008 with the St. Catharines Learn to Scull Program. He went to Brock for Physics and Stats, where he continued to row for the Varsity team, and was able to represent Canada at the U23 World Championships from 2014 to 2016. While doing his Masters at Western, Gray got involved in coaching, and later on had an opportunity to work at HUDSON. Since 2021, Grayson has moved to Orleans to pursue a career in public service, and has subsequently been able to coach and row with ORC members and the community.
Vice President Recreational and Instructional
Isabelle Teolis
Email: vp.recreation@ottawarowingclub.com
The VP Recreation and Instructional Programs is responsible for the oversight of the Adult Rowing League, Club Program, Adult Learn to Row, and Discover Rowing Day Camp. They communicate with members and prospective members on program info, as well as coordinate volunteers, coaches, and more.
Registrar
Julia Fournier
Email: registrar@ottawarowingclub.com
The Registrar is responsible for updating registration information and fees for athletes. They liaison with Rowing Canada Aviron, Row Ontario, Club managers, coaches and more to make sure registration details and fees are up to date and correct. Further, they collaborate with members of the executive committee and board to create exciting events for the Club.
Julia started rowing at McGill University in ‘86 and moved to Ottawa after marrying Ed Fournier in ‘89 and joined the ORC. In her mid-20s, she attempted to make the National Team but it was not meant to be. While raising a family (Matthew, Ryan and Chris) she put the competitive oars away but continued to make contributions to rowing in a number of capacities; ORC club manager, volunteer coach, RowOntario Board member, RCA Umpire, and ORC Board member in ‘98 and present. Her love for the sport got her back in a boat competing as a Master. You will find her on the water in her single in the early mornings. When Julia is not on the water, she is a Math and Science teacher with the Ottawa Catholic School Board.
Secretary
Siobhan Morris
Email: secretary@ottawarowingclub.com
The Secretary is responsible for maintaining official records, and scheduling agendas for monthly Board Meetings, as well as recording minutes and confirming quorum at the Annual General Meeting. They maintain complete and up to date copies of Club bylaws and documents.
Treasurer
Melanie Ecklund
Email: treasurer@ottawarowingclub.com
The Treasurer is responsible for overseeing club finances, collects and receives money. The Treasurer supervises and maintains bank accounts, prepares budget, financial statements, and pays all club bills.
Athlete Representative
Brendan Edge
Email: athlete.representative@ottawarowingclub.com
The Athlete Representative is the voice for all athletes at the ORC. They ensure that the needs and perspectives of athletes are heard, and voiced in Board Meetings. Furthermore, the Athlete Representative interacts with all programs across the Ottawa Rowing Club and promotes a safe and fun environment by providing athletes with appropriate resources for various issues and questions.
Brendan got his start in rowing as a coxswain at McGill University. He became a rower at Trent University in Peterborough and has been based at the ORC since 2018, rowing on Carleton University’s Lightweight Men’s Team since 2021 while he completes his Masters in International Affairs. He has medalled as a rower at OUAs, Henley, ERAs, Rideau, and the 2018 Gay Games in Paris, France. If he’s not on the water or the erg, he’s likely swimming, working, cooking, acting or singing while doing some combination of the above.