“Where Rails and Water Meet”: The Rose City
While perusing the MultiSport Canada website last season, I found out that Welland is one of their race venues. To my dismay, I was a little behind with planning my race calendar and totally missed this race! Since then I’ve been looking forward to racing in this historic city and now that it’s only a few days away, I’m beyond excited that I finally get to compete in this spectacular venue!
The first time I visited this venue was last September when I spectated the Niagara Barrelman 70.3 distance. The swim took place in the stunning Welland International Flatwater Centre, a facility built in 2013 to host the Toronto Pan Am Canoekayak Sprint Events. This is also where triathletes will be swimming 750 m (sprint triathlon) or 2 km (long course triathlon) this weekend.
Welland International Flatwater Centre, Niagara Barrelman 70.3
I was curious as to how the City of Welland adopted the name “The Rose City” so I did a bit of research on the city website and this is what I found out:
“…the city of Welland is the outgrowth of a settlement which commenced about the year 1788, when a scattering of farms between what we now know as Quaker Road and South Pelham Street, along the Welland River came to be.
In 1829, when a wooden aqueduct was built to carry the Welland Canal over the Welland River, a true urban presence of settlement came to be around that location. The settlement was called Aqueduct or The Aqueduct.. The settlement was incorporated as the Village of Welland on July 24, 1858. Incorporation as a town took place on January 1, 1878, and as a City on July 1, 1917.
Welland is located in the heart of the Niagara District.. There are 462.61 acres of fine parks and one of the finest Rose Gardens in the Province. This garden with others privately-owned, has earned for Welland the appellation of “Rose City” a title officially confirmed by resolution of City Council on October 18, 1921.
In 1991 Council adopted Rose #K0802647 as Welland’s Official Rose. The colour variation of yellow, red and orange was deemed appropriate by the selection committee as it represented Welland’s blend of cultures.”
Taking the time to research the city’s history has furthered my appreciation for what this beautiful city has to offer, and I’m certainly going to have a richer and more meaningful racing experience on Saturday.
Race With Us!
There is literally an event for everyone in this venue. If you’re still on the fence about participating in the MultiSport Canada’s season opener, i’s not too late to register. Whether you’re new to the sport or an experienced athlete, you can choose to participate in the following events:
Check out the MultiSport Canada website for more information.
There are also plenty of opportunities to get involved as a volunteer. MultiSport Canada does a tremendous job in ensuring that the races are executed in an organized, fun, comfortable, and safe manner. Volunteers are essential in making this happen. Click the link below to see the list of volunteer opportunities:
https://signup.com/group/1046599166028?utm_source=group-badge-volunteer-green
The energy is guaranteed to be electrifying in Welland and expect to witness great sportsmanship and camaraderie! Meet a community of passionate athletes and volunteers, and partake in all the fun that the sport of triathlon/duathlon has to offer.
I will be at the venue before and after my race, along with my group of amazing MultiSport Canada Ambassador Team, to share our experiences with the sport.
Hope to see you there!
The Chronicles of Coach Cruz 
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