Montreal Rowing Club

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The Montreal Rowing Club (MRC) is a rowing club based in the city of Montreal. Its French name is club d'aviron de Montréal (CAM). The club originally started in 1982 as an activity offered by le Club nautique et plein air de Montreal, a non-profit organisation set up by the city. It was officially founded in 1987 as a separate entity with the mandate to promote the sport of rowing in the Montreal area. It is a registered club with Rowing Canada.

The club rows out of the Olympic Basin located on Île Notre-Dame using the same facilities built for the 1976 Summer Olympics. It shares these facilities with l'Association québécoise d'aviron, the Quebec rowing association, and the McGill University Rowing Club (MURC). These facilities include:

The 2000 metres-plus long basin itself, the only one of its kind in North America.
The athletes' quarters which houses the indoor tank, one of only two in Canada and the only one that can accommodate eight rowers, the weight room and the ergometre room.
Hangars used for storing rowing shells with one heated hangar used to do repairs.

The club operates year-round with on-water training taking place between May and October. The on-water season starts as soon as the docks are installed and the water level in the basin is raised by the city. Due to the adjacent Cicuit Gilles-Villeneuve access to the basin is limited the week leading up both the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix and until 2006, the Champ Car Grand Prix of Montreal.

The club offers membership programs for all rowers of all skill levels under the lead of recreational coach Chantal Lavigne and competitive coach Vincent Tassery. These programs include novice (first year), junior (U19), masters (27 years-plus), recreational and competitive. The club also offers learn to row (LTR) courses for those wanting to start in the sport. Additionally the club runs many high school rowing programs for such schools as Selwyn House School and The Study. On a number of occasions the club has been a host site for Dynamic Opportunities for Youth (DOY).

Currently the club hosts one regatta, the Montreal Recreational Regatta, held usually in September since 2005. The club has also been host club for a number of national and international rowing events including the 2003 Canadian Masters Championships and the rowing program for the 2006 World Outgames.

In an attempt to garner more attention from the general public the club launched its very first calendar unveiled in July 2006. The 16-month calendar features black and white photos of the male members of the competitive team. Renowned Montreal photographer Jean-François Bérubé was the photographer.