History

The club was founded in July 1952 at the present site what at the time was an old gravel pit. The idea of a club arose in a discussion one day among a few of the old-timers at the Tudor House Pub. Jim Smart is credited with getting the wheels rolling with the Municipality. Permission was given to assemble a portable knock down “shack” on the weekends. Boats were launched off the sand and gravel beach. Some time later a cement pad was poured as a permanent foundation for the “shack” but it still had to be erected and taken down each weekend. In fact it is said to have been stolen one Saturday night when it was mistakenly left standing after a busy, tiring weekend. Today’s clubhouse is still affectionately referred to as “the shack” by many of the members. Between 1955 and 1961, the east and west ramps were constructed bit by bit. With the pouring of the centre ramp and approach completed in 1966, this part of the project was finally complete. The breakwater dates to 1965 and credit for it goes to John Graeme, Municipal Engineer and member at the time. How it came into being is quite a story in itself. Suffice is to say, John’s determination and dedication guided it through the necessary municipal, provincial, and federal bureaucracies. It is said he even made a personal visit to Ottawa on this issue. Two years later, municipal approval was given to erect a permanent single story clubhouse. That year 1967, there were 300 members. Today’s membership is in the order of 550.

The clubhouse has had a number of additions and renovations to get to it’s present state by 1996. The ramps were repaired in 1992. Dredging and float rebuilding have gone on as required. In 1982, the club constructed the Buxton Green park and a few years later oversaw a project which constructed walking trails around Macauley Point. In 2000 we consructed a new retaining wall which doubles as a community wall. In 2002 we installed the marker buoy with a muriel depicting our nautical heritage. In recent years,the club has devoted much of its energy and finances to salmon enhancement. These efforts are already paying off and the future looks brighter still. It is up to us, the present membership, to ensure the work and spirit of our predecessors continues.