The sleek new rowing shells and other equipment you see in the boathouse are a sign that we were successful in our application. We were granted $150 000 to achieve our goals of rebuilding ILRC, returning it to the vibrant, multi-generational community of active members that it was before COVID and increasing enrollment in all our programs after losing membership due to the pandemic.

In the fall of 2020, the ILRC Board of Directors made the decision to apply for a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Resilient Communities Fund. This fund grants money to help non-profit organizations recover and rebuild from the impacts of COVID-19. The application, led by Julie Wood with input from all members of the board, was extensive and detailed.

While the bulk of our grant was spent on acquiring 6 new singles and 2 racing doubles, other equipment we were able to purchase included a rolling boat rack to store the new boats as well as 10 sets of oars, stretchers, stroke coaches, PFD’s, flotation jackets and megaphones. The remainder of the funds has been spent on coach education and certification as well as hiring a Marketing and Event Coordinator in the person of Issie McCloskey whom many of you may have met over the summer.