James Lavallée

Born and raised in Winnipeg, James is a proud Métis who grew up paddling on the Red and Assiniboine Rivers. James has represented Canada internationally at various kayak competitions including the 2014 and 2015 Canoe Sprint Junior World Championships. 

In 2016, James was named to Canada’s national canoe-kayak team. In 2017, James proudly wore his Métis sash on the podium after winning three medals for Team Manitoba at the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg. 

In October 2017, he received the national Tom Longboat Award presented to the top Indigenous male and female athletes of the year. 

In 2019 James was presented with an Indspire award in the category of Métis youth. 

In the summer of 2020 James co-founded Waterways Recreation with the mission of supporting community wellness by using canoeing and outdoor recreation to connect Indigenous youth to cultural skills and identities. To date, Waterways has provided thousands of Indigenous youths with the opportunity to connect with their cultures through community led canoeing summer camps and paddling programs. 

When he is not out on the water sharing his passion for paddling James studies at Concordia University where he plans to major in management and minor in political science