B.C. premier unveils plaque at Jericho Sailing Centre’s 50th anniversary

Vancouver's Jericho Sailing Club celebrated five decades with an afternoon celebration Saturday, July 12.

B.C. Premier David Eby and other dignitaries joined the dozens gathered at Vancouver’s Jericho Sailing Centre Saturday afternoon to celebrate the longstanding club’s 50th anniversary.

The sports centre, located on English Bay’s south shore, offers rentals for boats, boards and kayaks, alongside sailing schooling opportunities.

As revellers celebrated 50 years of the club, with cake and barbecue fare, speakers took to the stage to reflect on their own experience taking to the water through the Jericho Sailing Centre.

Premier David Eby, who aided in the unveiling of a commemorative plaque, said it was “wonderful” to see the centre celebrate such a long and lofty milestone during a speech welcomed by the club’s general manager, Mike Cotter.

Regardless of the reason as to why people visited the waterside establishment - whether it be as an elite kitesurfer, windsurfer or sailor, or whether it be just to tuck into the club’s nachos - the centre and its staff have always been “so welcoming”, Eby said.

“When you come here, you can explore the boats. You can chase the rabbits, like my kids do. You can take the boat out on the water. You can get the training that you need,” he said.

“It’s inspirational to me that a small group of people with government support was able to deliver this in the city of Vancouver, and it’s lasted for 50 years. It’s an incredible accomplishment.”

The event, which ran from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m. and involved live music, prize draws and family-friendly relay races, saw other political names in attendance, including Chief Wayne Sparrow and MP Wade Grant.

Former Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan, as founder of the Adaptive Sailing Association of B.C., recounted how the Jericho Sailing Center welcomed his organization and has supported him in his mission to help those with disabilities to sail on local waters.

The Adaptive Sailing Association of B.C., one of the many clubs to operate out of the centre, has gone on to set up 20 sailing branches across the country as a result of the centre and Cotter’s support, he said.

Describing his first efforts in getting the association off the ground, Sullivan said he visited various different yacht clubs and “didn’t get a very good reception.”

“It was really when I came here that I got this openness,” he said.

Later this year, the City of Vancouver will renew its agreement with the centre to continue developing the centre for another ten years.

Describing the centre as “more than a facility,” Park Board Commissioner Scott Jensen said it is “a vital part of Vancouver shoreline” where people of all backgrounds come to experience the water, learn new skill skills, and connect with others.