Tribute to Alexander Decoteau
Alexander Decoteau died when he was very young and yet, despite the long years that had been taken away from him at such a time, he had lived to the fullest, living to his highest potential.
History will remember him as one of Canada’s greatest athletes, an energetic young man who had taken up the torch and who had raced to fulfill his dreams. He had never given up, continuing, year after year, to pursue his athletic career and his true passion. As well, he was Canada’s first Aboriginal police officer, a remarkable achievement, and an inspiration to other Aboriginal police officers who have continued in his footsteps.
First and foremost, Alexander Decoteau pursued his passion for running and had become known as “the stalwart runner from the north,” having won multiple races for many years. He competed in the 1912 Stockholm Olympics and showed the world what Canada could do on the international stage when he came in second in his heat and sixth in the finals of the 5,000m race. At one time, while he was stationed in England, Decoteau entered a race that, as he later discovered when he reached the start, was actually a bicycle race. But, that didn’t deter him – he promptly borrowed a bicycle and won the race.
Though he strove for personal success, he also gave to others the chance to succeed as well. He trained his young cousin Gilbert Wuttunee, who came in third in the dominion track and field championships in Vancouver in July 1913.
With Alexander Decoteau’s untimely death at Passchendaele on Oct. 30, 1917, the world was robbed of one of the greatest athletes it had ever seen and many Canadians felt the loss and mourned his passing.
But though he was lost, Alexander Decoteau’s memory lives on in the hearts and minds of Canadians, and we are reminded today of his accomplishments through those who labour to keep his memory alive.
Today, Alexander Decoteau is an inspiration to the young who want to achieve their own personal goals and who never give up until they have done so, just as he did. Today, children run annually in the Alex Decoteau Run in Edmonton, hosted by the Edmonton Police Service. They run in his memory, and through this act, they are encouraged to lead the same “dedication and healthy lifestyle as Alex Decoteau.”
Alexander Decoteau was a great man, one whom we shall all remember as he was, and still is, loved by all those who knew him, and by all those who remember him and revere him.
Canada will never forget the unique legacy he left behind and “the many firsts” he accomplished “for the Aboriginal community” and how he “served his city and his nation, and helped blaze the trail for others.”