Each year Sport Nova Scotia invites each of its more than 50 Provincial Sport Organization members to submit one nominee in each of 11 categories for consideration for Ricoh Sport Awards. For 2015, two hundred and fifteen nominations were received. After an exhaustive selection process, one provincial winner is chosen for each of the 11 categories. More than 500 people gathered at the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax, where these winners were presented with their awards. To give an idea of the level of accomplishment of these winners, the individual male and female athletes were world record holder kayaker, Mark de Jonge and Ellie Black, one of the finest gymnasts Canada has ever produced.
One of the categories is Association of the Year. It is awarded to the organization from amongst the nominees that best exemplifies organizational excellence through strong leadership and creating growth opportunities for athletes, coaches and volunteers with equal importance placed on participation and competition. This year’s winner is the Antigonish Rowing Club. President, Katie Edwards accepted the Ricoh Award on behalf of the ARC. The following is a statement issued by Sport Nova Scotia.
Katie Edwards speaks to the audience after accepting, on behalf of the Antigonish Rowing Club, the Ricoh Sports Award for 1915 Nova Scotia Association of the Year
“The Antigonish Rowing Club hosted the CanAmMex Regatta on Lochaber Lake last July. This international regatta drew top junior athletes from Canada, the United States, and Mexico with more than 100 athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers. The event provided the impetus for the installation of an Albano buoy system. When completed, the Lochaber Lake course will be the first full-buoyed 2000 metre six-lane Albano facility east of the Montreal Olympic Basin course. The permanent legacy will host many events and support the development of top level rowers in our region for years to come. It is already the home of the annual Atlantic Championships as well as the Atlantic University Rowing Championships. A strong partnership with the St. F.X. Rowing Club has increased membership by 200 per cent and is helping to produce more competitive athletes.”
Congratulations to the Antigonish and St. F. X. Rowing Clubs! Their members and associates, through their dedication to rowing, have added a whole new dimension to sport in our part of Nova Scotia.