The University of British Columbia Athletics

At a reunion event to honour Thunderbird rowing legends and celebrate the 100-year anniversary of UBC’s rowing program, no introduction garnered more cheers than that of 85-year-old Archibald MacKinnon. A pillar in Canadian rowing, Archie MacKinnon is the last surviving member of the “Cinderella Four”, the UBC coxless fours team who took the rowing world by surprise when they stormed to a gold medal finish at the 1956 Olympics. MacKinnon’s rowing history glows with inspirational stories of teamwork and victory, but the tale of how he got his start in the sport goes back to the kitchen table of his Cranbrook home and a pivotal discussion between father and son.
 
Back in 1955 MacKinnon was a graduating high school student who had just been kicked off the basketball team for not being "fast or tough enough". It had long been expected that he would follow in his father’s footsteps and head east to attend the University of Toronto. But MacKinnon was eager to prove himself in a new sport, on his own terms, and he had been inspired by reading the newspaper articles about UBC rowing and specifically the team’s coach, Frank Read.
 
“I told my Dad I wanted to go to UBC because they had a good rowing team. I would take the courses and go into engineering, but I went there specifically to row,” says MacKinnon. “UBC had been doing very well and every week I read about the team in The Province and The Vancouver Sun. I read all about Frank Read and I wanted him to be my coach.” 
 
This news came as quite the surprise to MacKinnon’s father, as his son had no previous rowing experience, aside from taking his mom for a spin in a rowboat around the lake. But the fire had been lit, and MacKinnon had made up his mind - he would be going to UBC. 
 
“Frank Read was an outstanding coach, and very tough. I showed up and I worked out hard. I was in good shape and keen to row and get on a good crew. But I started off modestly, meeting others who had never rowed before like myself. In fact, of our fours crew, three of us were freshman who had never rowed before.”
 
 
MacKinnon’s crewmates included Lorne Loomer (1937-2017), Walter D’Hondt (1936-2021), and Donald Arnold (1935-2021). Though very different people, the four came together as a team and relied on their collective athleticism. Led by stroke man Don Arnold (considered the team’s seasoned veteran with just one year of rowing experience), and MacKinnon in the bow seat, the crew got stronger and stronger leading up to the 1956 Royal Canadian Henley Regatta. There, the unknown UBC Four, defeated the heavily favoured Brockville crew, winning by an astounding 10 lengths and qualifying for the Melbourne Olympics.
 
“Heading to the Olympics meant that I didn’t have to write my Christmas exams. That was a really big relief actually because first year engineering is tough! So that was a big deal,” laughs MacKinnon.
 
MacKinnon didn't know just how big of a deal it would be – life altering in-fact. 
 
“In Melbourne we never had any problem with any of the crews and we kept gaining time with every race. We had a new and really fast Pocock racing shell that gave us an edge. But, we had a bad start in the finals and the boat didn’t feel quite right. I had to do a lot of steering to keep the boat straight, and make sure we didn’t infringe on anybody. Our boat came back, took the Italians, then took the French, and then took the American crew just before the 1000 metre mark. Don Arnold never dropped the stroke, we just kept going.”
 
The UBC boys shocked the rowing world, beating the Americans by 10 seconds and winning Canada’s first-ever gold medal in rowing. The crew may have left Canada in near anonymity, but when they returned, they returned as heroes. MacKinnon’s parents even made the trip from Cranbrook to Vancouver to join the celebration as UBC welcomed home the golden boys from their fairy-tale win.
 
The men continued their winning ways at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games as members of the gold medal winning Eight. Two years later, MacKinnon along with D’Hondt and Arnold, would earn a silver medal in the Eight at the 1960 Rome Olympics. That medal was the lone bright spot for Team Canada at an Olympic Games where no other Canadians made it to the podium, in any event.
 
MacKinnon went on to graduate from UBC with a degree in electrical engineering. He had a very successful career in investment banking for the telecommunications and energy sector, rising to the position of President and CEO of AltaCan Telecom, a subsidiary of Alberta Goverment Telephones, which later became part of Telus. 
 
Now retired, MacKinnon has fond memories of his days as a UBC student athlete, and he’s still in touch with many of the friends he met during his time at school.
 
“It was a remarkable university and UBC was really invested in us, but more than anything else I remember the people I met at UBC. I joined a fraternity, and those friends are still my best friends today. The friendships made at university can last for a lifetime.”