RegattaCentral

The False Creek Rowing Club was incorporated in 2008 in response to activity by the City of Vancouver's plans to create a home to "human powered non motorized boating" (i.e. paddling and rowing) at the East end of False Creek as part of the Olympic Village.

As False Creek is home to upwards of 800 dragon boaters a night in the spring and summer there is a need to have a permanent home for their sport. With 4500 local adults and roughly the same number of kids participating in programs, there is a huge opportunity in creating a home for watersports in the most accessible location of any urban area in Canada. Replacement paddling docks, which will be able to land rowing shells, should be in place in June of 2015 and fundraising for expansion of that facility to include rowing and club house amenities will begin early in the year.

At the moment, the False Creek Rowing Club has entered into a lease at the Burrard Civic Marina for a 20' x 60' compound to store boats. We have a few shells at the moment, and a few more in the works, but like all clubs: having equipment (such as safety boats, oars and shells) to meet demand is a difficult balance to find.

The regatta itself was first held by the FCRC in 2011 (previously the Head Of The Creek was organized by Vancouver College until the spring of 2001) and the prizes of cakes have started to become a hallmark of the event. As the oldest rowing regatta in the City of Vancouver accessible to recognized clubs, we have welcomed crews from around the province and Washington State in the past and look forward to being an event that builds on the long winter of aerobic training.

In November of 2014, one of the actions after being re-elected for a third term, Mayor Gregor Robertson of the City of Vancouver designated March 15, 2015 as City of Vancouver Rowing Champions Day, and permitted the False Creek Rowing Club to annoint the overall winner of the Head Up The Creek regatta in this and future years as the City of Vancouver Rowing Champion.