The Royal St. John’s Regatta Cancelled: Covid Did Something Considered Almost IMPOSSIBLE!

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By Jo-Ann “Jo D NL” Duke

You might ask why I would say that. Well, it is true; Covid has done something considered almost impossible. Thanks to the contagious virus, the annual Royal St. John’s Regatta has been cancelled for this year.

To understand why this is so shocking; you have to know the history of The Royal St. John’s Regatta. I am proud to say that it is the oldest continuous sporting event in North America.

Yes, this is true and there is documentation that proves that the races took place in 1816; in fact, there are stories going back to the late 1700s that say that the races took place even before that. However, the date that we use is the one we all know as the beginning of this fantastic and fun annual event. The Regatta officially began to use 1818 as the first Regatta; and it was done in connection with the celebration of King George III’s 57th anniversary of his coronation. So back in 2018, we here in St. John’s celebrated its 200th anniversary.

This event is held on Quidi Vidi Lake in St. John’s, a beautiful lake that is in the capital city of Newfoundland; now this lake and the surrounding area is normally used as a place to have a picnic or as a walking trail. However, once a year, over 50,000 people converge on the lake in one day. Traditionally, the Regatta is scheduled for the first Wednesday of August. However, and you may not believe this, as this day is a civic holiday for the city, but the truth is that whether or not the holiday and the holiday goes ahead depends on the weather.

There is even a tradition in the city called Regatta Roulette; where everyone has to decide if they will celebrate either at home, or down on George Street the night before the Regatta; with them rolling the dice on whether they will have to go into work if the holiday is cancelled. Yes, you heard that right, I believe that our Regatta holiday may be the only one that the weather controls. You see, if weather and wind conditions are not right for the races to take place, the event is postponed until the next suitable day.

The rowing crews have six-members along with a coxswain; and they race in fixed-seat racing shells which are identical as possible and the shells belong to the Royal St. John’s Regatta Committee; we have races for the juniors, seniors, and also both the male and female teams who compete for the main awards.

Each year, there are growing numbers of people, both local and from away, who all want to go to Quidi Vidi Lake each year for the event. Like I said, we see crowds averaging around 50,000 in the last few years.

It is a major social event, and to be honest, it can be where you will see people whom you haven’t seen since the previous year; it is amazing and frustrating, trying to get around all the baby carriages and animals.

No matter what, you will put up with anything, to see the fun and craziness taking place; it’s something so much a part of st. John’s culture, that all anyone has to say is the Regatta, and practically everyone knows what you are talking about. It is a huge part of our history and culture, we have all grown up with it, going every year as a family, and when you get older, hanging with your friends.

If you want to see or meet some politicians, this is the spot to do so; as the Regatta is a popular spot to see both provincial and federal politicians; and they come to meet the public.

Aside from the rowing competitions, the Royal St. John’s Regatta is well known for its lakeside entertainment. The Regatta hosts at least a hundred booths; they are operated by individuals who want to make some money, as well as charitable organizations. The majority of the booths range from trying your luck at games of chance, to enjoying the variety of food and drink that are available, and over the years, the food has offered international foods, a great chance to try something new.

The regatta has long-standing ties with the Royal family. Over the years the regatta has been visited by members of the Royal Family, including Prince Albert Edward in 1860; and Queen Elizabeth II in 1978.

Yes, okay, the regatta has been cancelled before, but on only rare occasions such as the death of any monarch of the British Empire; the other times were in 1861 due to political unrest for fear of violence erupting at the event. The next time it was cancelled was 1892, due to the Great Fire, and the city recovering from this, and the fact that homeless families were living in tents at Quidi Vidi Lake.

There were two other times, during World War 1 from 1915 – 1918, and as well in 1940 when World War 2 broke out in Europe, but it resumed the next year at the urging of military officials. Until this year, 1940 was the last time it was cancelled; we had an 80 year stretch of regattas, and it was not until the Covid-19 virus hit and it forced the cancellation of the beloved event.

Due to the length of planning involved, it was decided in May of this year to do so, because the people in charge of planning did not want to put anyone at risk of being exposed. This was done as a safety measure as there would be no way that anyone could physically distance 6 feet or more from one another; even if everyone agreed to wear a mask, it would be just too dangerous. In the past, it was good if you were a few inches away from the next person, no way could you do 6 or more feet, it would be impossible.

As much as I love the Regatta, and have since I was a child, I thank the committee for making the right decision, putting safety over fun. It’s a lesson that is important and needed.

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