John "Johnny C" Charlebois

John Charlebois was a football sensation in Alexandria and Ottawa. Known as Johnny C, he was nicknamed after the CFL Montreal Allouette’s star running back “ Johnny R” by the late Glengarry News sports columnist Angus H. McDonell.

Charlebois also played soccer, hockey, volleyball, track and field, and basketball while attending awards personally as well as the honour of running withy the torch in the Olympic torch relay of 1976. His high school year-book referred to him as the “bionic boy”.

Some of his great sport moments were playing with the Glengarry Soccer League (GSL) Greenfield Marauders, winning the 1992 “Intermediate A” Canadian Championship in touch football, and being chosen as tournament MVP (Most Valuable Player) in the 1982 Ontario North Eastern Regional Touch Football tournament, winning game MVP in all but one of those games and helping his Glengarry team qualify for the Canadian Touch Bowl Championships.

The Marauders won 14 GSl and 10 Greespon Cup championships. Charlebois won a league championship with the men’s Hearts of Glengarry soccer team in the Cornwall Soccer League in 1981, playing from 1981-1988. During the winter month, Charlebois played minor hockey with the Alexandria Peewee, Bantam and Midget All-Star teams and then three years with Alexandria Junior B Glens hockey team, winning the Glen’s Sportsmanship and Ability Award in 1975-1976.

Charlebois also played touch football with the Lochiel Loks in the Glengarry Touch Football League, winning seven league championships and five first-place finishes in nine years from 1976-1984.
He was chosen to attend the Ontario Athletic Leadership Camp in 1975 and won numerous ribbons and trophies in track and field, top scorer award in all three football years and was the recipient of GDHS Sportsman of the Year award in 1976-1977.

He received a Lions Club Athletic Award more than once.

After he moved to Ottawa, he continued to come back to Glengarry on week nights to play soccer in the GSL and Cornwall Soccer League during the summer months. He also played touch football with a men’s team in the Ottawa Nepean Touch Football League (ONTFL).

Johnny C played on teams that won five division championships and two first place awards from 1985-1994 and a Canadian championship in 1992. He also completed the full Ottawa marathon in 1985.

Charlebois continues to stay active despite a number of injuries. He bicycles almost every day in Ottawa and skates in the winter.