multipurpose event facility
The Neil Campbell Rowing Centre is located adjacent to the iconic Henley Rowing Course – one of the premier rowing courses in the World, and an international centrepiece of rowing for more than 100 years.
The Henley Rowing Course is located on Martindale Pond in the Port Dalhousie community of St. Catharines. Because Martindale Pond was formed during the development of the first Welland Canal, its water level is controlled through a series of dams. As a result, the Henley Rowing Course is ideal for rowing, and has hosted hundreds of provincial, national and international rowing competitions. In 2024, it will once again host the World Rowing Championships.
Befitting a world-class rowing course, the new Neil Campbell Rowing Centre is a state-of-the-art-facility that was built for the 2022 Canada Games. The Centre was named in honour of Neil Campbell, an Olympic rower from St. Catharines that went on to become a highly-successful coach, including leading Canada’s men’s eight crew to our nation’s first-ever gold medal in that event at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
The Neil Campbell Rowing Centre is a 6000 square foot, fully-accessible, multipurpose event facility. With a sustainable, high-efficiency design that features an innovative mass-timber structure and on-site power generation from a solar photovoltaic system, the Neil Campbell Rowing Centre has won a number of design awards, including:
2022 Niagara Biennial Design Award
Representing quality and diversity of design, the Neil Campbell Rowing Centre received the ‘Grand Prize – Architecture’ from the Region of Niagara. The Jury for this prestigious award observed that “this elegant project … is a master class in “less is so much more”; showing what can be achieved with the least amount of ornamentation to beautifully capture a space that connects to its surroundings. The graceful simplicity and openness of the built form partly floats above the water; perfectly evoking the essence of the sport it serves. There is a stunning transparency through the building to the water and a beautiful glow at night.”
2023 IOC IPC IAKS Architecture Prize
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities (IAKS) are committed to advocating for excellence in the visioning, design and operation of fully-inclusive and universally accessible indoor and outdoor facilities. As their 2023 award recipient, the Neil Campbell Rowing Centre was recognized for the following achievements:
- sensible sustainability and public value, including a design that achieves both net-zero energy and net-zero carbon emission benchmarks;
- exemplary accessibility and universal design;
- strong functional planning and innovation; and
- exceptional architectural design.
Meeting and Banquet venue
With stunning views of Martindale Pond, the Neil Campbell Rowing Centre is positioned to become one of Niagara’s most unique and sought after meeting and banquet venues. Features that will support these events include:
- Exterior glass walls that are capable of opening in large sections to allow for natural airflow and access to an outdoor patio and viewing area adjacent to the Rowing Course;
- Meeting and conference facilities (tables/chairs) to accommodate up to 80 persons;
- Indoor and patio facilities to accommodate banquet functions up to 150 persons;
- Wifi and built-in audio-visual equipment; and
- Ample onsite parking.
Please note that hospitality services will need to be contracted and not provided by the venue.
For more details about the venue and booking availability, please contact dkennedy@sportniagara.ca.
