Nelson added to Wall of Fame
From left: St. Catharines Sports Hall of Fame chair Peter Partridge, Kate Modolo, Mike Modolo, St. Catharines mayor Mat Siscoe. Photo: BILL POTRECZ
It is not an exaggeration that without Ted Nelson’s foresight and hard work, Henley Island, as it is today, might not even exist.
In the spring of 1948, Nelson, the president of the St. Catharines Rowing Club, met with other members to discuss the problem of space restrictions and concluded that owning the property was the answer.
Nelson worked for years with the owner of the property to make that a reality and in 1955 the process was complete, laying the cornerstone of the current landscape.
After many improvements, Canada was able to apply for and received FISA accreditation for the course which created the opportunity to host the 1967 North American Rowing Championships; 1970 FISA World Championships; 1999 FISA World Championships; 2015 Pan American Games; 2024 FISA World Championships.
The project took 18 years and Nelson was there every step of the way.
For that contribution, as well as many others related to the sport, Nelson was inducted into the St. Catharines Sports Hall of Fame Wednesday in the builder’s category for rowing.
Kate Modolo never met her grandfather — he passed away one month before she was born — but felt his presence in her life, particularly on the water.
“When I was in the club as a teen, I often thought how odd it was that none of my teammates and very few of my coaches knew how this this rowing mecca at which we spent countless hours building lifetime bonds, winning races wearing cerise and blue, and sculpting beanie muscles came to be,” she said. “Even with Grandpa’s name immortalized on the rock up front alongside the great John Newman and Bill Burgoyne, it always felt like my family was privy to extraordinary lore that had largely been lost with Grandpa’s passing.”
Nelson, who was born in St. Catharines in 1910, was involved in rowing from 1947-78.
In addition to acting as present of the SCRA for two years, Nelson was president of Rowing Canada from 1959-60, he also worked as director, vice-president and past president for the Henley Aquatic Association.
Mike Modolo believed his grandfather would be appreciative of the award, but was always quick to give credit to others.
“A record keeper extraordinaire and a strong believer in ascribing credit to others, if Ted Nelson were here tonight he would want you to know the army of support he and his cohorts garnered from every corner of the St. Catharines community to make this dream of his a reality. So we end on the words that came directly from him. There were so many people in this act that no one or a few could take credit for this project. There were so many people in this act that no one or a few could take credit for this project. I just happen to be the chairman,” he said.
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