Canada Day provides yet another opportunity for Jonathan Edouard to appreciate his presence in our home and native land.
“Now that I’ve been here for 10 years, I’m applying for citizenship after this (season),” the 30-year-old Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive back says.
“I went to college here. I stay here in the off-season. I love this place.”
Edouard has close ties to three countries. His parents, Belo and Enide, emigrated to the United States from Haiti. They have nine children — Jonathan being the second youngest.
Born in Orlando, Fla., Edouard spent three years (2014 to 2016) at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Ark. He then enrolled at Carleton University in Ottawa and played three seasons of Canadian college football with the Ravens.
Edouard emerged with university degrees in sports management (from Henderson State) and film studies (Carleton).
Due to his extensive U Sports experience, he is classified as a National for CFL purposes.
“I met a guy named Dondre Wright while I was at Henderson State,” Edouard recalls, referencing the Montreal Alouettes’ Ontario-born third-round selection in the 2017 CFL Canadian Draft.
“I said, ‘You just got drafted to the CFL. How do I get drafted to the CFL?’ Dondre said, ‘You can’t. You’re not Canadian. However, they might make a rule one day where if you go to college in Canada, you’ll be a National.’
“And it’s crazy. It actually happened.”
The connections to Canada are more than a technicality for Edouard, who lives in Toronto during the off-season.
Edouard spent his first four CFL seasons (2022 to 2025) with the Argonauts, helping them win Grey Cup championships in 2022 and 2024.
Toronto won its 2022 title with Corey Mace — now the Roughriders’ third-year Head Coach — as the Defensive Co-ordinator.
“He may not be a household name in this league for many people, but he’s a vet in this league,” Mace says. “He knows the game.
“He communicates like crazy out there, which we’ve been preaching since training camp, so he does all the small things that we really like.
“You want to limit explosive passing plays. It’s not always going to be a man-on-man situation but, if it is, he’s a tough joker to run by. He gives you a chance for any deep ball.”
Edouard, whose fastest clocking in the 40-yard dash is a blistering 4.27 seconds, made a suitably speedy transition to new surroundings after signing with Saskatchewan on June 17.
He was in the lineup only three days later when the Roughriders faced the visiting Calgary Stampeders.
He was elevated to starting duty last Friday when Saskatchewan opposed the Toronto Argonauts at Mosaic Stadium, becoming the Roughriders’ third first-team defensive halfback in as many games.
Rolan Milligan Jr. (shoulder) was injured in the season opener. JuJu Hughes injured an ankle in Saskatchewan’s second game. Edouard then became a rarity in the NFL — a starting National defensive halfback.
“This is my dream,” he says. “When you’re in Ontario or anywhere, you’ll hear, ‘You’re out in Sask, in the middle of nowhere. No, this is the dream.
“This is the best brotherhood I’ve ever seen in my career of playing football. I know everyone’s name and I’ve been here for two weeks.
“I consider them all my boys, my friends, my teammates for life. I don’t know how to say it any better way.”
The adjustment wasn’t quite as seamless when Edouard made the move to Ottawa at age 22, leaving his family, the country in which he was raised, and so much of what he knew.
“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, but it’s also one of the most freeing things,” he reflects.
“Everyone was like, ‘Wow … you’re so not connected to anything. You’re just trying to be successful.’ I didn’t see it like that. I really missed my mom. I was homesick for about four years.
“My mom was like, ‘No, son, you are free.’ It really gave me the perspective of, ‘Wow, I taught myself how to not need anyone.’
“I’m just super grateful to call these guys family, honestly.”
The gratitude extends much further when he takes stock on life in Canada.
“I can’t really put it into words,” Edouard says. “I could have been born (in Haiti), or I could have not been born, because my parents wouldn’t have had nine kids if we were in Haiti. I have family over there that tells me how hard life is.
“To be over here in Canada, I’m super grateful for the opportunity and for the safety. I just like living life — safety, freedom and people.”
