The North Star Rowing Club was founded in 1896 with Jack Behan as its first president. The original club stood on the shore of Halifax Harbour at Tuft's Cove but was decimated by the Halifax Explosion of 1917. For 17 years afterwards, the club was inactive but in 1934, Owen Sawlor oversaw a revival at a site on the harbour near where the MacDonald Bridge is now located. At that time, Moir's Amateur Aquatic Club transferred to the reorganised North Star. Sawlor remained president for 22 years during which time, the clubhouse burned down in the 1950s, relocating once again to Oakwood House on Lake Banook, in behind the Banook Canoe Club. Known during those years as the North Star Aquatic Club, the club entered crews into the Inter-Club regatta C15 races periodically, specifically 1944 (Junior and Ladies) and 1963 (Ladies). During the 50s, the Mic Mac rowers would carry their shells down Prince Albert/Ochterlony streets in order to compete against North Star on the harbour.