The Britannia Yacht Club (BYC) is a private social club, yacht club, and tennis club based in Britannia, a neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1887 by a group of cottagers.
The BYC is located on an extension of land at the eastern end of Lac Deschênes, near the Deschênes Rapids on the Ottawa River. A land block owned by the National Capital Commission on the south side of the harbor is leased to the BYC. The area immediately south of the property is occupied by residences of Britannia Bay. The harbor was built from an abandoned power canal, which now lays beside the club property, and has been expanded twice since its original development. The harbor's water level is controlled by a system of stop logs at its entrance.
The BYC is a member of the Ontario Sailing Association, Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons, and the Canadian Yachting Association. Its officers include a Commodore, Vice-Commodore, Rear-Commodore, Secretary, and Treasurer.
Description The BYC is included in the City of Ottawa Inventory of Sports facilities. BYC provides access to 45 kilometers of sailing waters on the Ottawa River. Canadian Hydrographic Service Chart 1550 - Britannia Bay to Chats Falls covers the whole of Lac Deschênes.
The BYC offers Social and boating memberships to close to 1,200 members. BYC has a marina with a main and inner Harbor which accommodate 280 Keelboats. For Dinghy sailing, dry sail facilities are provided. BYC offers Tennis, youth and social programs.
At Sherwood Port, the entry to its harbor, a plaque was erected in honor of Hon. Justice Lilius Anglin Sherwood (1923–2002), magistrate (1960) provincial judge (1968–83) and federal court judge (1988–93), sailor and international sailing judge. The Main Harbor, which opens to the Ottawa River, is surrounded by Mauve Cove, Crimson Cove, and Blue Lagoon. The Inner Harbor is surrounded by Emerald Cay, Mauve Cove and Crimson Cove. Onshore there is a perimeter reserved for the exclusive use of members as well as camping on Baskin's beach. The Clubhouse's dragon sailboat bar, Main Lounge, Bruce Neuk, Sunset Room restaurant and marquis tent provide casual and gourmet dining and social areas. Fuller Park is a popular social area for picnics.
Gardens The BYC has extensive Perennial gardens, Wildflower gardens, Waterways and Walkways with many plantings reflecting the blue and white club colors.
History
By the 1830s, steamboats traveled for 10 or 11 months a year 48 kilometers up the Ottawa River from the Deschênes Rapids to the foot of the Rapids des Chats. The log drives, which resulted in 16-foot logs lying along the waterfront, ended in 1982.
By the 1870s, Britannia Village was a summer resort for people who lived in Ottawa, Ontario. In the 1870s, rails were laid towards the capital, linking the waterfront of Britannia Township, Woodroffe and Westboro. By 1871, Britannia Township consisted of a flag station of the Canadian Central Railway (CCRR), farmland, a few houses, shops, a mill and a Methodist church.
Britannia Aquatic Club
The Britannia Aquatic Club (BAC) was founded using a converted sawmill, cottages and boat storage built by John Cameron Jamieson, a lumberman, baker, and alderman as its headquarters.
Britannia Nautical Club In 1892, the Britannia Aquatic Club (BAC) changed its name to the Britannia Nautical Club (BNC), still using a converted Mill built in 1880–85 by John Cameron Jamieson as its headquarters. On August 29, 1891, the BNC held its first regatta which included sailing, paddling and rowing races. The mandate of the Club was to foster all kinds of water sports, and to hold regattas, sailing races, canoe, rowing and log rolling events.
Britannia Boat House Club In 1895 the Britannia Boat House Club was granted an Act of Incorporation by Judge Ross. The board of directors consisted of Thomas H Kirby, C Jackson Booth, E.L. Brittain, Arthur Tache and William Wyld. In 1895, the Club ran its first annual regatta. In 1896 the Britannia Nautical Club changed its name to the Britannia Boat House Club.
The Edward Miall award for Junior Members who show improvement in their ability was founded in memory of three brothers, Alexander (22), Walter (19) and Eddy (16) Brothy and Peter Winfield (10), who drowned on July 26, 1895. Edward Miall, whose son Ray was rescued three hours later still clinging to his father's capsized skiff, sought to stress all-round proficiency in hope of presenting such tragedy in future. The B.Y.C. Photographic Archives' six oldest known pictures show a group of people sailing towing a bun, man in a cockpit, regatta etc. by Charter member, E. L. Brittain.
After the club outgrew the old mill building, the present club house designed by Edgar Lewis Horwood was opened in 1896 on the present site, on a leased property owned by lumber baron J.R. Booth, closer to the Deschênes Rapids. A photo of the Britannia Club House, 1896 by William James Topley is in the Library and Archives Canada collection.Britannia Club House, 1896/William James Topley/Library and Archives Canada
The G.B. Greene, known as 'Queen of the River', a double-decked side-wheeler steamer built by the Upper Ottawa Improvement Company in 1896, took up to 250 passengers up the Ottawa River to Chats Falls on daily pleasure excursions. Although she was dismantled in 1946, her anchor remains at Britannia Beach today.
On August 21, 1897, the Club won the third annual regatta. In 1898, Britannia Boat House Club's War Canoe beat a team crewed by the Ottawa Canoe Club to win the Canadian National Canoe Championship. This race was re-enacted as part of the BYC 125th celebrations on Saturday June 16, 2012.
In 1899, the Ottawa Electric Railway Company privately financed and built a double street-car Britannia line from Holland Avenue, which was in operation from 1900 to 1959 with off-peak service of 5 cars per hour to Britannia. Since the street-car operated on Sundays, its recreational developments at Britannia were profitable. Large numbers of people took the Britannia-on-the Bay street-car each summer from 1900 to the Second World War to a combined waterfront amusement park, summer resort and commuter village. In 1899, the Metropolitan Power Company was formed to construct a powerhouse just north of the Britannia Boathouse Club with a 2000-foot canal to extend to the lower end of the Deschenes Rapids. Although the hydroelectric project was abandoned as unfeasible, the unfinished canal was used in 1951 by Past Commodores Thomas G. Fuller and Reginald G. Bruce with labor provided by volunteer Club members as the basis of the BYC protected harbor. Today, the BYC harbor provides 250 wet moorings, fuel and pump out facilities, for both sail and power boats. In the late 1800s upon the death of a Charter member and custodian of the club records, E. Stockton, the administrators of his affairs sent the documents to the Township dump.
The Britannia Boat House Club was one of nine co-founders of the Canadian Canoe Association (CCA) in 1900. In 1900, Britannia Boathouse Club won the War canoe and the canoe race at the regatta hosted by Britannia. In 1900, the Club logo consisted of cross paddles and a burgee. A photo of the Britannia Bay Club House by Harmer William Morell is in the Library and Archives Canada Collection. The Club hosted the CCA championships in 1902, 1908, 1911 and 1935.Johnston, C. Fred. 100 Years of Champions - The Canadian Canoe Association 1900-2000. Queens University, Kingston. 2003
On June 6, 1902, Lewis Skuce, 15, saved the lives of a young man and lady who were rowing across the head of the Deschaines rapids when their oar-lock broke and their craft began drifting towards the rapids. Lewis Skuce paddled out to the drifting boat, transferred the couple into his canoe and conveyed them to shore while Charlie Scott and Wilfrid Harrison rescued the deserted rowboat.'Young man and lady in peril at Britannia on the Bay' Ottawa Citizen June 6, 1902
Designed by Charles Penruddocke William Kivas Band, architect and partner in Architectural & Engineering Co., a new clubhouse, known as the Britannia Boating Club House was built on the pier by Thomas Ahearn, head of the Ottawa Electric Railway in 1905–06. The old Club House building was used for storage.
Britannia Boating Club In 1905, the Britannia Boathouse Club was renamed the Britannia Boating Club; the activities covered racing and the use of practically all types of boats. In May 1906, the Department of Agriculture registered Industrial Design number 11 folio 2455 by the Britannia Boat House Club, for use in club pins, jewellery, stationery, flags, badges and emblems.
The Edwin L. Brittain Trophy was first presented in 1905; It was originally and is currently awarded for a race from the Britannia Yacht Club to Pinhey's Point and return - Elapsed Time.
In the years before the First World War, the Ottawa Citizen's 'News from Ottawa's Beautiful Resorts' or 'Restful Resorts around the Capital' regularly featured stories about summer life in Britannia; Typical articles described social visits, recreation, fireworks, bonfires, bands, stage performances, singing, storytelling, water sports, regattas, and flotillas of boats and canoes.
A photo by Lawrence Hurt Sitwell dated April 20, 1907, of an ice jam and the wreck of the new club house from the front is in the Library and Archives Canada collection.Ice jam and wreck of the new club house, Lawrence Hurt Sitwell/Library and Archives Canada
In 1908, the Ottawa Association of Aquatic Clubs (OAAC) was founded. Lists of members who were in good standing and lists of members who were suspended were submitted to the OAAC. The executive consisted of Chair E.A. Oliver of the Victoria Yacht Club; Vice Chair Q.A. Lamb of Ottawa Canoe Club and Secretary J.M. Douglas of Britannia Boating Club.
In July 1910, Jack Fee's Britannia Fours (Fee, McKenzie, Harrison & Carnochan) won the Dickson trophy (Junior 4s rowing -city championships), which was donated by J.P. Dickson at a regatta on Lake Deschenes before a record crowd of 500. Mr Roderick Percy Sparks, then president of the Britannia Boating Club, announced that the four rowers would compete in the Canadian Henley Regatta at St. Catharines, Ontario, in August 1910.
Housing shortages in and around the capital during First World War, Great Depression in Canada and Second World War and in post-war years led to families occupying summer cottages at Britannia year-round.
During the First World War, the 207th (Ottawa-Carleton) Battalion, CEF encouraged locals to enlist at the Britannia Pier. On June 26, 1916, the Soldier's Service Club of Ottawa's programs of music, dancing and in concert attracted crowds to the Britannia Boating Club to raise money to establish amusement places in six Canadian camps that lacked entertainment halls. The crowd of thousands enjoyed musical entertainment in the auditorium, dancing to the Tippins' orchestra in the club house, band concerts in the parks and a spirit of carnival. The ladies made costumes for the minstrel show at the carnival as well as an earlier show held at the Russell Theater earlier in the season. Invitations were sent to convalescent soldiers at the Fleming home, who attended as guests of the club. This was the first carnival of its kind held in any Canadian city.
The new clubhouse, as well as canoes, accessories, boating equipment, records and trophies stored in the boathouse were destroyed by fire in 1918. The Club returned to its present location in 1920.
The J.G. Hickson Memorial Cup was first presented in 1918 to the keelboat champion in the weekly series racing (now Class 5). The Lt. Col. C. E. Long Trophy was first presented in 1919; It was originally and is currently awarded for a race between the Club and Armitage's Wharf (Elapsed Time).