Ned Hanlan's Monument, Toronto

Edward Hanlan, born to an Irish hotelier, owner of Hanlan’s Point in 1855 grew up in Toronto and rowed to school. He used his rowing skills to bring freshly caught fish to the market before other fishermen. Since the age of 16, he participated in professional rowing competitions and in 1875 became the rowing champion of Ontario. Hanlan’s professional life as a sculler had just begun.

With his signature blue shirt and red headband, Hanlan went on the win the Canadian Championship in 1877, American in 1878 and the English Championship in 1879. He went on to become the Sculling World Champion in 1880 and made Canada proud. He held on to his World Championship title for another 4 years and frequently accepted challenges from other scullers. After two bouts of typhoid and losing his Championship title, Hanlan retired and set up his hotel while coaching rowers at Toronto University and Columbia University, New York. After conquering the world of sculling and successfully fighting typhoid, Hanlan succumbed to pneumonia at the age of 52.

Emanuel Hahn sculpted 9 foot bronze statue of Hanlan was unveiled in 1926 as remembrance. It was moved to the ferry dock at Hanlan’s Point in 2004 where you can visit it today. Along with naming of streets and inducting his name in the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, Canadians commemorated their sculling hero by issuing a postage stamp in his honor in 1980.