Canadian/Dominican football star receives one of Canada’s honours

Canadian football star, Karina LeBlanc, whose father is Dominican and who spent her early years in Dominica, has been made a member of the Order of Canada, which is the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals in that country.

She was invested by Governor General of Canada, Mary Simon, during a ceremony on Thursday, December 12, although it was announced back in late 2022 that she would be receiving the award.

The Order of Canada, in its announcement, described LeBlanc, who competed as Canada’s national team goaltender at FIFA World Cups and Olympic Games, as a global force in her sport.

“Karina LeBlanc is a global force in soccer,” the statement said. “A national team goalkeeper for 17 years, she helped achieve notable finishes for Canada, including at five FIFA Women’s World Cups and two Olympic Games.”

It also said she used her success to inspire other girls.

“Using her success in sport as a platform for social change, she inspires girls to dream big through her eponymous foundation, motivational speaking, and service as a UNICEF ambassador,” the Order of Canada stated further.

Former head of women’s soccer for the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), she now shares her expertise as general manager of the Portland Thorns. “LeBlanc is the founder of The Karina LeBlanc Foundation, which according to its website, “empowers young women to bring to light their inner greatness.”

“Combining athletic training, mentorship, personal growth initiatives, and resources, we empower the pursuit of dreams, embracing purpose, and making a positive impact,” the website said.

LeBlanc was born in Atlanta, Georgia where her father Vans LeBlanc, from Portsmouth, and her Jamaican mother, Winsome LeBlanc, relocated temporarily to avoid the dangers of Hurricane David, which ravaged the island in 1979.

The family eventually returned to Dominica where she lived in Goodwill for a period of time and attended the Convent Prep.

At age eight, her family moved to Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada. She spent most of her adult life in that country but visits Dominica very often and lists one of her favorite foods as Dominican crab backs from her aunt Rosilia. She has also described Dominica as her favorite country.

Leblanc has never been shy about her connections to Dominica. She has credited her early life in Dominica in part for shaping her talent in football, also known as soccer.

When the Canadian Olympic Women Football Team won the bronze medal in the 2012 Olympic Games, she paid tribute to Dominica.

“As I celebrate my Bronze Medal … I wish to give thanks and pay tribute to Dominica where I lived for the first eight years of my life,” Leblanc told Dominica News Online at the time. “Whatever success I achieved, Dominica has had a major role in shaping and nurturing my initial upbringing, my character, and my talents.”

After Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017, she partnered with UNICEF to assist the island and reminded everyone in a video message where she is from.

“Hi everyone, as you may know, I am from Dominica, I grew up there till I was eight,” she said. “A lot of you have probably been tuning in to the news to see the devastation that has happened on this island which I grew up on, which I think is the most beautiful island in the world but unfortunately it is no longer that. So I have worked with UNICEF to make sure we created a fund …all the funds will go to Dominica.”