1980

August 21^st, 1921 was one of those rare bright sparkling mornings when the Kennebecasis is like a mirror and no ripple marrs the reflections of Minister's Face or the masts of the boats in the harbor.

But the village of Renforth, on this morning was not so placid. A crowd, which was later estimated at 20,000 was beginning to gather and would create the greatest river and road traffic jam ever. It was the fiftieth anniversary of the epic rowing race in 1871 when the famed "Paris Crew" defeated a British team from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in a record time of 38 minuets 50 seconds over six miles.

Young Walter Banks had heard much of this race and, as he found his vantage point near the railway track he was struck by the similarities between 1871 and 1921.

The warf below him was still covered by great piles of wood brought down by the wood boats for use at the Torryburn lime quarry.

"Much later", on the 100^th anniversary, in 1971, a miserably dripping wet, foggy day, "he was to remark that these were no longer there."

But in 1921, he could still see the masts of two wood boats, probably the last on the Saint John River. Now they can only be found preserved in the form of a replica in King's Landing.

Tied up to the boom across the river with an excellent view of the finishing line were several steam tug boats, and in the distance, he thought he could see the steamer Majestic bringing people up river.

In 1971, these would be replaced by the out-board motors, the sleek pleasure yachts, the cabin cruisers and dinghies.

Mr. Banks got his camera ready. He had bought it on Armistice Day, in 1919, in Belfast and he was to use it again in 1971.

This year, 1921, no tragedy was to marr the day as had happened in 1871 when James Renforth, the stroke of the Brittish team collapsed on top of his oar with the battle only partly over." He died an hour later.

The competing team in 1921 was the Halifax North Stars. The Renforth team has trained hard in their spare time in the expectation of a stiff race. Mr. Bank's cousin, James Griffiths of Birch Avenue, was a member of the Renforth team, and after work every evening, and sometimes early in the mornings, he and the other members of the team could be seen sculling up and down the Kennebecasis.

George Price, Robert Fulton, Samuel Hutton and Elijah Ross, the Paris Crew of 1871, must have been equally industrious. Their training would be done after their return from a day's work in the lumber mills of Saint John and the result was a record any rowing team might envy.

Apart from winning the international sculling race at the Paris Exposition they met and conquered several challenges to their supremacy.

One was a challenge sent out to the world by the Ward Brothers of Cornwall, New York. The Paris Crew accepted, each team putting up $1,500. It was billed as the Great Boat Race and was won by the Paris Crew by a full minute.

Meanwhile, in 1921, Walter Banks was using a precious momento of the Paris Crew. They had brought back with them, in 1871, a pair of field glasses which they had given to J.H. Venning.

Mr. Banks surmises that this gentleman probably helped to finance the trip to Paris. What-ever the reason, they were an appropriate gift, providing, as they did, a close up view of the exertions of the rowers!

Hopefully, Mr. Banks will be using them to watch Henry Flood, Brian Flood, David Allan and Mark Allan sweep to victory on July 19^th, 1980. This year's coach is Keith Ratcliffe.