Club History | Gorge Narrows Rowing

The Gorge Narrows Rowing Club Difference

Building on a long history of rowing on the Gorge

The Gorge Narrows Rowing Club is located on the historic Gorge Waterway, just south of the Selkirk Trestle Bridge, and is an active partner in the Victoria Harbour Community. Our 2940 Jutland Road location lands us on the northern bay of the Upper Harbour, with easy training access to the north and south.

We offer a wide variety of programs. We have fall, winter, spring, and summer programs for adults and youth, including community based learn-to-row, junior, senior and masters programs offered year-round. We host private corporate events and can facilitate independent rowing clubs’ training needs.

There is a long-standing tradition of sport and recreational access on the Gorge Waterway that dates back hundreds of years. Throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries people have rowed on the Gorge. For nearly twenty years, the Gorge Rowing and Paddling Club continued a tradition of excellence in both rowing and paddling sports here in the Selkirk Waterfront Community and on the Gorge Waterway. The Gorge has produced multiple Olympians and countless National and International Champions, and has had our athletes selected to represent dozens of prestigious colleges and universities.

In November of 2013 a new chapter for the waterway began. The GO Rowing and Paddling Association of Canada decided it was time to exit from the day-to-day management and operations of the Gorge Rowing and Paddling Club. With the future of sport and recreational access on the Gorge waterway ambiguous, St. Michaels University School agreed to step up to run programs out of the boathouse. In 2017, the Gorge Narrows Rowing Centre officially became independent from SMUS and has been running successfully ever since.

The Greater Victoria Youth Rowing Society (GVYRS) is again partnering with the GNRC to host their 10-week fall high school rowing league. The centre has hosted teams from Esquimalt, Oak Bay, Spectrum, St. Andrews, SMUS, Lambrick Park, Glenlyon Norfolk and Victoria High.

The GNRC has a long-standing masters rowing program, offering rowing year-round, and an ever-growing team. New members join regularly through our various Learn-to-Row programs, as well as migrating from clubs across the country when they move to Victoria. If you are interested in joining the Master’s program, please visit our Master’s Program Page.

The GNRC junior program is a year-round with a talented cadre of coaches and boasts alumni at a host of prestigious Universities, Colleges, and National teams. A full list of junior programs can be found here.

In 2018, the GNRC was announced as a Para Rowing centre of excellence, having the equipment and expertise to teach almost anyone how to row, regardless of the barriers they may face.

There is a lot to be excited about at the Gorge Narrows Rowing Club. If you have any questions about the programs or the centre, please send us a note through our contact page, or call us at 250.384.0736. We are easy to access, by car, bus, bike or boat. See you on the water!