First Place Ribbon

Date1950

Credit LineGift of Barry Howson, Sarnia, Ontario, 2024

Object number2024.005.004

Label TextBorn and raised in London, Ontario, Barry Howson (b. 1939) went on to become the first Black Canadian on a national Olympic team. He was part of the 1964 Canadian team, which played at the Tokyo Olympics. Born in 1939 to Christine Jenkins Howson and Franklin Howson, Barry Howson grew up on London’s Glenwood Avenue. With the other children in that neighbourhood, the young Howson frequented Silverwoods Park and other local parks, too. He was an especially avid follower of the city-run summer recreation programs, in which adult and teen supervisors instructed and led local children in a range of athletic activities, including track and field but also baseball and basketball. In fact, Howson first picked up a basketball on the playgrounds of London. Finished primary school, Howson went to high school at Beck Collegiate because the opportunities for sport were better there. At first, Howson spent a lot of time on the bench but, given opportunities to prove himself, he showed that he had much to contribute to the team. In 1957, Howson led the Beck Spartans first to the Western Ontario Secondary Schools Athletic Association (WOSSAA) championship and then to the All-Ontario Championship, the only London school ever to accomplish the feat. He recalled that accomplishment many years later, saying it was one of his proudest moments. As a teenager, Howson worked as a playground supervisor. It was his turn to inspire a new generation of youngsters and teach them how to play various games. Indeed, teaching became Howson’s life’s work. He spent decades working as a teacher and coach at St. Patrick’s Catholic High School in Sarnia until his retirement in 1997.

NameRibbon, Prize