Echoes of History

125 years after thousands lined the Kennebecasis to watch the Great Race, the scene repeats itself

By: Andrea Aster

Times Globe staff writer

It was a race to be savoured in many ways - the beauty of competitors at the peak of their sport, history alive again and a crowd estimated at $10,000 strong out to watch it all happen.

On the shores of the Kennebecasis River, people streamed down to the water Saturday night for the re-enactment of 1871’s Great Boat Race, stalling to talk to everyone they knew.

This race was a sports competition in the best of traditions, complete with an exciting win for the home team. But, as importantly, it was a tribute to a community that grew up with the river.

"All my life I’ve had the river in my mind," said Marlene Hilton-Moore, sculptor of The Kennebeccasis, two granite slabs balancing a scull, which was unveiled earlier in the day by the competing crews from Renforth and Great Britain.

Ms. Hilton-Moore moved to Toronto 32 years ago, but she said that whenever she comes home, the river is the only thing about childhood that looks bigger in adult life than it does in her memory.

Her sculpture is "a symbolic container of place - these Valley communities, the river, the Great Boat Race," she said. It stands on the shoreline, "as close as I (could) get to the turning point of the race" said Ms. Hilton-Moore.

After the unveiling, Wayne MacFarlane of the New Brunswick team told her that he interpreted the two slabs of the statue as representing the two great forces in rowing, England and Canada, she said.

Ralph Brown was another former Valley resident who came home after 30 years in Calgary to be at the race.

"My roots are here, my buds are here," he said, while sitting with friends at the afternoon beer garden in the Renforth Community Centre.

A rock-climbing wall, pony rides and face painting were other offerings to be encountered outside the center as organizers strove to give the community a focal meeting ground for the day.

Other community members used the occasion of the re-enactment to delve into their genealogy, their personal connection to the Saint John-area rowing tradition.

Marlene Ross’s husband, Frank Ross, was the great-great-nephew of world champion sculler Wallace Ross, for example. "They’ve got the same eyes, very intense," she said, after seeing an old photo of Wallace.

"We’re sharing with the community our collective passion for water," said race chairman Gregory Zed. He estimated 7,000 people had come out to the week-long celebrations leading up to the actual race.

And at the race, it was impossible to get an accurate headcount - with people hanging over the lighthouse balcony, cramming the wharf, packing the lawns that overlooked the river and drinking wine on their boats.

From her front-row wharf chair, one woman yelled at a camera crew to get out of the way. They had parked their boat right in front of the audience.

"The sun was setting, the geese were going. What better entertainment could there be?" satisfied spectator Dana Sanderson said after the race.

"One guy had his video camera set up at the turn," said Greg Sanford, also after watching the race. "I’d love to see the video of that."

Other enthusiasts discussed technique and strategy and debated the race stroke by stroke.

"My hands are sore from shaking so many hands this week," said Mr. Zed. "I’m looking forward to relaxing."

Mr. Zed also said that the original Paris Crew scull will likely be restored in a future collaboration between the community and the New Brunswick Museum. The scull is still in "fantastic shape," all in one piece, he said.

"It would complete the loop - race to race to restoration. It would be a tremendous legacy," he said.