For 22 seasons the proud history of the Winnipeg Rowing Club was maintained both on the local and international scene by Elswood Bole and Robert Richards.

The cousins excelled as partners and alone in single scull. In 1930 they teamed to win the Northwestern Rowing Association’s senior doubles at Kenora. In the same year they won the Gold Medal in the first British Empire Games, now known as the Commonwealth Games. Due to family reasons, they declined to seek a place on Canada’s 1932 Olympic team. In 1933 they over-powered all opposition in the Northwestern Meet at Fort William.

In single sculls, Elswood Bole won the Northwestern singles in 1928-30, the Canadian Association title in 1929 and the Northwestern doubles with Theo Dubois in 1934. An avid skier and sailor, Bole was also a councillor (1948-49) and mayor (1950-51) of St. Vital.

Robert Richards, with a variety of partners, won doubles titles in 1928, 1929, 1935, 1947, 1948 and 1950. In single sculls, he won the Northwestern title in 1931 in Minneapolis and repeated in Kenora in 1947. Also an avid sailor, competitive hockey player and golfer, Richards was manager of Richardson’s Securities from 1958-1974.