John Howard Edwards (born July 1, 1954) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

sprint canoer who competed in the mid-1970s. He was a member of the National Team at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. At the

1976 Summer Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 P ...

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...

, he was eliminated in the repechages of the C-2 1000 m event while finishing ninth in the C-1 1000 m event. Edwards grew up paddling at the Carleton Place Canoe Club (the oldest continuing flat water racing canoe club in Canada) in

Carleton Place Carleton Place is a town in Eastern Ontario, Canada, in Lanark County, about west of downtown Ottawa. It is located at the crossroads of Highway 15 and Highway 7, halfway between the towns of Perth, Almonte, Smiths Falls, and the nation's cap ...

, Ontario, and became the first Olympic competitor from that club. He competed in C-1 1000m and C-2 1000m at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. Edwards served as the Domestic Development Director at CanoeKayak Canada (CKC), then known as the Canadian Canoe Association, from 1999 until 2015. In that role, Edwards oversaw a period of significant evolution in the sport in Canada and around the world. Under Edwards, the number of racing clubs and the number of participants in the sport in Canada grew by an unprecedented amount. Edwards also initiated CKC’s Aboriginal Paddling Initiative and the PaddleALL program for paddlers with disabilities, and championed the expansion of opportunities for women in canoeing. Edwards has also had significant influence on the sport internationally, serving as a member of the Board of the

International Canoe Federation The International Canoe Federation (ICF) is the umbrella organization of all national canoe organizations worldwide. It is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, and administers all aspects of canoe sport worldwide. 157 countries are affiliate ...

and as Chair of the ICF’s Paracanoe Committee. Edwards was the driving force behind acceptance of Paracanoe into the Paralympic Games, and his committee is charged with expanding the accessibility of the sport on a worldwide basis. In recognition for his work in Canada and internationally, he received a Lifetime Achievement honour at the 2016 World Paddle Awards. Concurrent with his employment at CKC, Edwards enjoyed a long career in politics, serving as a municipal councillor for Ramsay Ward in

Mississippi Mills, Ontario Mississippi Mills is a town in eastern Ontario, Canada, in Lanark County on the Mississippi River. It is made up of the former Townships of Ramsay and Pakenham, as well as the Town of Almonte. It is partly located within Canada's National Capital ...

for more than 17 years. He held that position until 2018. Edwards is married, with two daughters and six grandchildren.

References

1954 births Canadian male canoeists Canoeists at the 1976 Summer Olympics Living people Olympic canoeists for Canada {{Canada-canoe-bio-stub