To the editor,
I am newer to Nanaimo and chose here because it has a rowing club with year-round water access.
I was shocked when I first joined the club a few years ago and realized the $10,000-plus racing shells were stored outside in an old tennis court and the indoor facility was a falling-down trailer. I almost quit, but the amazing club spirit kept me there.
The rowing and paddling clubs need lake access to function and we struggle to showcase our city as presentable and competitive at national competitions. We live all over Nanaimo but train specifically out of the Wellington community because Long Lake is the Goldilocks lake for competitive water sports in Nanaimo. We welcome athletes from all across Canada to train here in the months of November-April – despite our current facilities – since our weather is amazing and the lake is not frozen.
Wellington is the only community in Nanaimo to have a competitive rowing club. I could not afford Wellington prices when I first moved here and the residents of Wellington calling it their park makes me feel unwelcome in a park I would otherwise consider a second home.
Kiersten Mort, Nanaimo
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