This should go without saying, but always consider the source when reading any news article. That goes double for highly politicized publications like NOW.

http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2006-08-24/news_feature.php

"The 11-metre dragon boats are long gone, their drumbeats faded, and the predicted audience of 100,000 for the boat race at Marilyn Bell Park turned out to be a few thousand of the faithful.

What remains is a glut of garbage, stretches of dead grass and a $23 million stone wall. What's left for the community now that the race is over? And how did Parkdale get stuck with a watercourse that's only half-finished?"

finally an article about the course that's based in reality

Cause if it was sarcastic, I agree.

"The dragon boat races are marketed as an international Olympics-style sporting event, but as Blunt points out, "This is not the Olympics or a world championship. It's a club regatta. Participants are mostly Canadian, and there actually isn't a whole lot of tourism."

Bingo!

Very insightful article in Now Magazine. Although I don't always agree with the usual suspects in the anti development, pro environment camp, on this issue they have it right.

The huge (23 million dollar) investment in the dragon boat course was a scam right from the start which lacked meaningful input from either the paddling/rowing clubs and the local community. Hence, the substandard end product that we now have to live with.

Politics, ego and greed trumped sound planning.

At least Kerkmann is only speaking on behalf of GWN this time and not dragging DBC through the mud.

"Others, like local Argonaut Rowing Club member Robert Blunt, doubts the course can be used for anything but the once-a-year races. "It's too rough, open and windy to be of any use whatsoever to canoers, rowers or paddlers," he says, "

It's kind of funny to read this, because if you ever practice out by the course you will often see rowers going at it 4 boats across, something they can't do anywhere else along the breakwall.

As for windy and rough, did these guys watch any of the last two Olympics? Athens and Penrith had HUGE wind and wave issues, and that was on a purpose built Olympic courses! The Rockpile I have only ever heard of being rough or choppy once this year. More often than not it's as flat as a pancake, even when the waves outside it are substantial.

But I agree that the course needs to be extended, and dredged for it to be truly useful. Permananet start and finish line towers would have been a waste as the site is not complete. Besides, they're not really that important. Width, length and depth ARE.

Perspective, the wall was and is falling down, something had to be done, the governments took responsible action in fixing the wall, beautifying the park and at the same time provided an excellent (the best) 500M dragonboat course within the City's Limits. Could they have dredged and made the course longer, of course they could, but do you really think that was the Primary Objective here?(Apparently Island and Ontario Place are not fair courses nor do they meet IDBF specifications)

The wall, I understand the project in fact patched holes in other areas of the Wall for which the Clubs along the waterfront are quite thankful, A solution for the old parts of the wall are still required and I fear it needs to be a short term solution. Will the funds be as forthcoming????

Argonaut Rowing Club, of course they dislike the course, it attracts thousands of dragonboaters and dragonboats onto the waterfront that they once had completely to themselves, they have been clear on their position from the outset, they don't want to share folks! Nor do they want to be taken over.

Beautifying the Park, a year ago the park was looking more than worn, I understand that this project was responsible for the boardwalk, lights, dedication to Marilyn Bell and the resurfacing of the Martin Goodman Trail, all positives as a result of this project. The BMX park, I don't know where it's being funded from, however, if this project had not started would the BMX park be going forward?

Regatta Course, who really cares other than those that paddle/row, I understand that the Outrigger Paddlers hosted an event on the course this year and that the Rowers were looking at using it this past weekend?? If this summer is any indication it has been populated with both rowers, paddlers and dragonboaters training anywhere from 5:30AM to 9:00PM daily - the debate on specifications I found interesting until the IDBF confirmed that it met its' specifications for 200M, 500M and 2000M racing - I've never attended a regatta that requires racing of more than 500M?? Not sure that I would want to!

As for unpaddleable! Maybe for Rowers but even I'm impressed with how well that wall keeps a flat piece of water!

I understand the residents concerns in that it will increase the number of events being hosted in the Park each summer, that can't be alot of fun for the same neighbourhood that hosts the CNE each year, however, I think the purpose was to generate more activity in the Park focusing on waterfront events - I can see this course becoming the primary regatta hosting site in the City over the next couple of years, Why? Because the paddling communities will want to compete on a course that is fair -

Would I like to see a 1,000M course or a 2,000M course, who wouldn't?

We can argue the politics and back room dealings, but it's all moot since 99.999% of us were not there.

Let's look at the article.

Others, like local Argonaut Rowing Club member Robert Blunt, doubts the course can be used for anything but the once-a-year races. "It's too rough, open and windy to be of any use whatsoever to canoers, rowers or paddlers,". As someone has already stated, it's being used daily. So that's point #1 that is BS.

"Our park needs to be diverse and combine multiple uses of the waterfront," he says. Typical of one of the rowers, using a possessive pronoun to describe a public place. Maybe someone can tell Blunt that it's not his, nor his rower's, park.

The dragon boat races are marketed as an international Olympics-style sporting event, but as Blunt points out, "This is not the Olympics or a world championship. It's a club regatta. Participants are mostly Canadian, and there actually isn't a whole lot of tourism." WHAT? Look at this link, http://www.2006ccwc.com/downloads/forms/2006CCWC_Aug11Fri_RP.pdf
Premier Open 200m - 4/18 teams Canadian
Premier Women 200m - 5/12 teams canadian
Premier Mixed 200m - 5/20 teams canadian... where is he getting his statistics from? Point #2 BS.

"Meanwhile, those who used to enjoy watching the sun set over the horizon will have to content themselves with sunset over Parkdale's great wall." Unless the earth decides to start rotating on some east/west axis and sets in the south, not sure how the wall will be blocking the sunset. Great to pull on the heartstrings, but not much fact. BS point #3.

So qith most events at the Premier Level having not less than 1/4 of the crews form Canada and Jamaica, where is he wrong ?
Do a check of the Senior and Grandmaster Crews and it comes out even more in favour
of Canadian Crews - do your own checking and don't put up data to support your own argument.

Blunt is right. This is not the Olympics. The crews that did come - could afford to come.
If the British system was that strong (Hey, Mike this is your stronghold), why was there only
one entry ?

"If the British system was that strong (Hey, Mike this is your stronghold), why was there only one entry ?"

And why no Italian teams despite the fact that about 10 Canadian crews went to Rome? Same goes for South Africa. Terrible support from International crews, I agree. Shame on the Worldwide dragon boat community. (but kudos to Germany, Australia, Macau and everyone else who DID grace us with their presence).

But that's another topic for another thread.

Blunt was right. It was a recreational event that had a strong international component and no doubt some elite level paddlers, but it was far from being world class. I can totally understand why rowers would resent having to share the space with weekend warrior DB types. There's nothing like a team doing an on-water cheer to make us all look like a bunch of morons and leave the rowers thinking we're a joke! But hey, that's the burden that we all carry as not-quite athletes in a not-quite sport.

"Others, like local Argonaut Rowing Club member Robert Blunt, doubts the course can be used for anything but the once-a-year races. "It's too rough, open and windy to be of any use whatsoever to canoers, rowers or paddlers," he says, "

Yep, the course is certainly of no use to rowers. It was definitely of no use to the trio of single scullers that were running 500's up and down the length of the course this morning, nor was it any use to the eight's, doubles, and other boats we saw out there last night, in addition to no less than half a dozen dragon boats.

Useless, yeah.

The real rowers go down past sunnyside, the "learn to row" brigade go onto
the course.

you know, I was one the loudest whinners about the new course. I still think it's a stupid spot for it, that way too much $$$ was spent on it and that we could have gotten a better course somewhere else. However, now we have it and I really hope that people find a way to use it, flawed as it is.

I didn't think single sculls was a "learn to row" boat.

These were definitely "masters" types. But I can agree that 500m is only going to be partially useful to rowers.

Expand!

Dredge!

Please!

Let's just assume that the rowers don't use the new race course area. Let's also assume that they don't have an easier time turning, docking, etc. because they have more space immediately in front of the ARC.

One must at least agree with the fact that if the dragon boats are on the new race course, then they are out of the way of the rowers. Althought the dragon boats have to get from Sunnyside or TS&CC to the course, at least for 30 minutes out of every hour every boat on the new race course is out of the way of our rowing friends.

So Blunt, I ask you is that not a good thing? Are your rowers not happier to have more room from ARC to the Humber? Isn't it easier to turn an 8 without dragon boats bearing down on the crew?

If the British system was that strong (Hey, Mike this is your stronghold), why was there only one entry ?" And why no Italian teams despite the fact that about 10 Canadian crews went to Rome? Same goes for South Africa. Terrible support from International crews, I agree. Shame on the Worldwide dragon boat community. (but kudos to Germany, Australia, Macau and everyone else who DID grace us with their presence)."

Perhaps it had to more to do with the expected level of competition and the chances of winning. Everyone knew all 5 of the "home" team entries would be very good and if you look who stepped up to the plate from other countries it was mostly teams that thought they could win a medal. You are complaining about the Brits and Italians but I think you saw this factor even with the US teams. The only US men's teams that showed up were Philly which knows it can compete at that level and MAD which is always game for good competition. Same with the mixed US teams, Kai Ikaika or whatever their name is is a strong west coast US team that thought it could compete for a medal.

Europeans are sissies that are afraid of a good competition unles it's on their own terms, 100%.

I didn't know Don Cherry was into Dragon Boating.