Beare Inducted into Row Ontario Hall of Fame
One of Canada’s top rowers of the 1990’s and 2000’s was named as the latest inductee in the 2026 Row Ontario Hall of Fame Class with the announcement on Friday that Jon Beare will join the Hall.
Beare was one of the stalwarts on the Canadian National Team throughout his career and one of the most versatile as well, rowing in pairs, fours and eights and achieving success in each boat. At the conclusion of his career, he had competed in three consecutive Olympic Games and at ten World Rowing Championships.
“Jon would always credit his coaches and teammates for his successful rowing career,” said Danielle Beare, Jon’s wife. “Beyond the accolades, he was most proud of the community that allowed him to fulfill his passion, to challenge himself, and be his biggest supporters. He cherished the rowing community, and he was very proud to represent them all when he competed.”
Born and raised in Toronto, Beare got his start in rowing while in high school at Upper Canada College. From there he rowed at Western University before he moved on to row on the national and international stage. In 1993, he was a member of Team Ontario at the Canada Summer Games and earned a gold in the men’s four and silver in the men’s eight. The following year, his first year on the National Team, he won a bronze medal in the lightweight eight at the Commonwealth Regatta.
Beare competed at his first World Rowing Championship in 1995 and would earn two World Championship bronze medals, both in the lightweight eight in 1996 and 1997, over the course of his career. Overall, he competed as a member of the lightweight eight three times at a World Rowing Championship, the lightweight four five times and the lightweight pair twice.
After placing seventh at his first Olympics in the lightweight four in 2000, he returned as a member of the lightweight four in 2004, this time qualifying for the A Final with his crewmates and finishing in fifth. An Olympic podium would come in the final race of Beare’s national team career when he and crewmates Iain Brambell, Mike Lewis and Liam Parsons surged in the final 500m to cross the line in third place. The bronze medal on that Sunday morning in Beijing followed a gold won by the Canadian men’s eight, capping off a historic day on the water for Canada.
Beare left a legacy both on and off the water. Following his retirement from rowing, he stayed close to the sport, serving as the Athlete Director for the Rowing Canada Aviron Board of Directors and becoming a partner with Hudson Boat Works, where he contributed to the boat manufacturer’s substantial growth until his untimely passing in 2023. In addition to his World Championship and Olympic success on the water, Beare also won four World Rowing Cup medals (3 silver, 1 bronze) in his career and claimed the open men’s single title at the Head of the Charles Regatta in 2003.
Row Ontario will be announcing the inductions of the 2026 Hall of Fame class throughout the week as part of ‘Hall of Fame Week’. Already announced this week are Peterborough rowing builder Chris Leach, long-time Leander Boat Club coach Jim Roche, rowing pioneer Jake Gaudaur, and the historic women’s pair of Alison Korn and Emma Robinson. Stay tuned later today for the announcement of the final inductee of the 2026 induction class of the Row Ontario Hall of Fame.
The 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 induction classes will be honoured in-person at the Row Ontario Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 28 in the Niagara area. The HOF induction ceremony is part of the Ontario Rowing Summit weekend. To purchase tickets to the HOF induction ceremony, visit the link below:
