Burnaby Lake is the “ideal” spot for national rowing competitions

November 22, 2023

Nearly 300 athletes and more than 50 coaches from 20 universities from across the country competed in the 2023 Canadian University Rowing Championships at Burnaby Lake November 10 to 12.

“Burnaby is really the heart of rowing competitions in western Canada,” says Elizabeth Urbach, event manager for the 2023 Canadian University Rowing Championships. “It was great to be there and we got lucky with the fantastic weather. With the new viewing platform, it elevated the event to a fantastic level.”

Recent facility improvements at Burnaby Lake, including the viewing platform, have provided a “full experience” for the participants, she says. “We had hundreds of fans cheering on the athletes and they could hear them as they crossed the finish line.”

Some of these university athletes will continue to train and go onto the national team trials. Rowing Canada representatives were on site watching the athletes and evaluating them with an eye to the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games and beyond.

This event is hosted in eastern and western Canada on a rotating basis, but after the successful 2023 event, “there’s definitely interest in having it hosted more regularly in Burnaby,” says Urbach.

“We had amazing feedback from all of the teams about the venue, the local hotels, the food and the great hospitality that they received,” she says.  “We have an amazing partnership with Sport Burnaby. They’ve been so supportive.”