Yacht Club History & Faciilties | Britannia Yacht Club

A RICH & WONDERFUL TRADITION IN OTTAWA

The Britannia Yacht Club History

Britannia Yacht Club’s roots come from an association of cottagers who spent their summers at Britannia-on-the-Bay. Formed in 1887, they were known as the Britannia Aquatic Club and met for the first nine years in an old saw mill on the water, between Rowatt and Jamieson Street. The name was changed to the Britannia Nautical Club and then to the Britannia Boat House Club, and was incorporated in 1895. The following year the members built a fine building for storing canoes and rowboats. The club flourished and paddlers won many national championships. Frank Amyot won a gold medal for Canada at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

The members decided that they would like a larger, more elegant place to hold their dances and other social functions. A new clubhouse was built in 1907 on the end of the Ottawa Electric Railway pier at Britannia Park, but was unfortunately destroyed by fire in August 1918. The social affairs of the club were then moved back to the old clubhouse and remain in the same building to this day. At this point they were known as the Britannia Boating Club.

A RICH & WONDERFUL TRADITION IN OTTAWA

The Britannia Yacht Club History

Gradually, interests in paddling declined and they became a sailing club with a few motorboats. Membership reached a peak of 2000 people just prior to the First World War, but dropped dramatically after the war. With the advent of fibreglass boats, which require far less maintenance than wooden ones, the numbers rose once again.

Over the years the clubhouse has undergone many additions and improvements, although it still retains its historical appearance. In 1950 the name was changed once again, this time to the Britannia Yacht Club. Our harbour was built from an abandoned power canal which lay beside the club property. This harbour has been expanded since its original development. In 1955 our Junior Club was founded to teach our young people to both sail and race.

Britannia has a rich history of volunteer work for the betterment of the club. This extends from the now disbanded Ladies’ Auxiliary who held teas and fashion shows in order to raise the money for furniture and draperies, to many members pitching in to build the harbour walls, sandbag the property in times of flooding, build docks and organize and run many regattas. Our members are the reason Britannia Yacht Club is the place that it is today! We are proud to have each and every member contribute to continuing the legacy of our Club in Ottawa.