Canadian Yachting December 2019 - 15

B a si n l o o ki n g t o w ar d t h e n e w t o w n h o u s e d e v el o p m e nt.

h as als o b e e n c all e d H ur o nt ari o ( as it is
f o u n d at t h e e n d of H ur o nt ari o
Str e et), N ott a w a, a n d H e ns- a n d- C hi c k e ns
( b e c a us e of 5 isl a n ds i n t h e b ay).
T h e arri v al of t h e O nt ari o, Si m c o e
a n d H ur o n R ail w a y i n 1 8 5 5, c o u pl e d
wit h t h e h ar b o ur pr o vi d e d a s hi p pi n g
p oi nt f or c ar g o d esti n e d t o t h e p orts
of C hi c a g o a n d P ort Art h ur- F ort
Willi a m, a n d t h e p erf e ct o p p ort u nit y
f or a s hi p b uil di n g i n d ustr y. T h e
C olli n g w o o d Dr y D o c k S hi p b uil di n g a n d
F o u n dr y C o m p a n y Li mit e d w as o p e n e d
i n 1 8 8 3. T h e s hi p y ar ds pr o d u c e d L a k ers
a n d d uri n g Worl d War II t h e C or v ett es
us e d b y t h e R o y al C a n a di a n N a v y.
O v er c a p a cit y a n d o v ers e as c o m p etiti o n
l e d t o t h e d e mis e of t h e i n d ustr y i n 1 9 8 6.
M a n y c a n r e m e m b er t h e f esti v e d a ys i n
C olli n g w o o d w h e n s hi ps w er e l a u n c h e d.
Pe o pl e fl o c k e d t o t h e w at erfr o nt fr o m

mil es ar o u n d t o w at c h t h e n e wl y b uilt
s hi ps sli d e si d e w a ys i nt o t h e w at er, s e n di n g a m o nst er w a v e a cr oss t h e h ar b o ur.
I n r e c e nt y e ars, a l o c al gr o u p of br e w
m ast ers at t h e f o ot of t h e Bl u e M o u nt ai n
w er e i ns pir e d t o c all t h eir pr o d u ct, Si d e
L a u n c h M o u nt ai n L a g er!
T h e G e or gi a n B a y Ya c ht Cl u b or g a n iz e d a s aili n g r a c e i n 1 8 8 8 i n viti n g s ail ors
fr o m Mi dl a n d a n d C olli n g w o o d. T h e b o at
us e d at t h e ti m e w as a Watts S kiff. T h es e
w er e w or ki n g b o ats t h at w o ul d tr a ns p ort
t h e h ar v est e d f o o d fr o m t h e b a y t o t h e
l o c al p o p ul a c e. Wit h t h e d e mis e of t h e
G e or gi a n B a y Y C, t h e pr esti gi o us
G e or gi a n B a y C u p w as l ost. Mir a c ul o usl y
t h e c u p w as r e c o v er e d fr o m a U S c oll e ct or a n d r ef ur bis h e d b y C olli n g w o o d Ya c ht
Cl u b m e m b ers! T h e c u p c o nti n u es t o b e
off er e d u p at t h e a n n u al G e or gi a n B a y
R e g att a w hi c h s u p p orts l o c al f o o d b a n ks
a n d t h e C a n a di a n H e art & Str o k e
F o u n d ati o n.
Wit h o nl y f o ur b o ats m o or e d i n t h e
C olli n g w o o d h ar b o ur a s m all gr o u p of
r a ci n g e nt h usi asts h ost e d a r e g att a a n d
i n vit e d T h or n b ur y s ail ors t o p arti ci p at e.
T h e 1 9 7 2 e v e nt w as h u g el y s u c c essf ul
a n d l a u n c h e d a gr o u p i nt o f or mi n g a b o at i n g cl u b. T h e f oll o wi n g y e ar t h e
C olli n g w o o d Ya c ht Cl u b ( C Y C) w as
i n c or p or at e d wit h 1 5 s ail b o ats m o or e d i n
t h e C olli n g w o o d Ter mi n als B asi n at t h e
f o ot of t h e Bl u e M o u nt ai n, wit h a n a d diti o n al 6 0 b o ats b y t h e e n d of 1 9 7 4. T h e
n ext y e ar, a f or m al a gr e e m e nt w as si g n e d,
a n d t h e C olli n g w o o d Ter mi n als Lt d.
u n d ert o o k r e n o v ati o ns t o t h e b as e m e nt of
t h eir offi c e b uil di n g s o t h at t h e C Y C

T h e Cl u b h o u s e c urr e ntl y s h o wi n g t h e
kit c h e n a n d st air s.

c o ul d m o v e i n a n d h a v e a m e eti n g pl a c e.
W h e n h a n dli n g o p er ati o ns c e as e d s o m e
1 8 y e ars l at er, t h e cl u b ass u m e d t h e
r e m ai ni n g Ter mi n als offi c es t o ex p a n d
t h eir cl u b h o us e.
I n 1 9 8 9 t h e m o ori n g b asi n h a d
r e a c h e d c a p a cit y. To pr o vi d e b ett er pr ot e cti o n fr o m t h e u nr ul y w a v es of
N ott a w as a g a B a y a n d all o w m axi m u m
us e of s p a c e, a fl o ati n g w a v e br e a k w as
c o nstr u ct e d b y C Y C m e m b ers t o s p a n
t h e g a p b et w e e n t h e n ort h a n d s o ut h c o ncr et e Fe d er al d o c ks o n t h e w est si d e of
t h e b asi n.
Te n y e ars aft er t h e cl osi n g of t h e s hi p y ar d, t h e C olli n g w o o d Ya c ht Cl u b,
s e c ur e d its f ut ur e wit h a l o n g-ti m e l e as e
i n p art n ers hi p wit h t h e t o w n of
C olli n g w o o d. T his a gr e e m e nt all o w e d t h e
cl u b t o er e ct n e w f e n ci n g, c o nti n u e t h e
b e a utifi c ati o n of t h e pr e mis es a n d ex p a n d
wit h 2 0 n e w d o c ks. U nt o u c h e d f or 2 0
y e ars, t h eir c o nstit uti o n g a v e c o ntr ol of
t h e cl u b t o l o c al m e m b ers o nl y. A l at er
r e visi o n i n 1 9 9 7 n o w all o ws a li mit of
3 5 % of t h e m e m b ers t o li v e o utsi d e a 2 5mil e r a di us of t h e t o w n. T his pr o vi d e d a n
ex c ell e nt pl atf or m f or t h e cl u b t o ex p a n d
its m e m b ers hi p a n d t h e y w er e s o o n at
m axi m u m c a p a cit y.
T h e w at er l e v els b e g a n t o dr o p i n
2 0 1 2 a n d m a n y b o ats h a d t o b e dr a g g e d
o ut of t h eir sli ps t o t h e cr a n e at h a ul o ut.
I n a j oi nt eff ort wit h t h e t o w n, C Y C
m e m b ers i nst all e d t hr e e n e w d o c k s pi n es
a n d a n ot h er w a v e br e a k i n t h e s o ut h h ar -

w w w. c a n a di a n y a c h ti n g. c a

15
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Canadian Yachting December 2019

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