Heinz Poenn

Heinz Poenn (September 11, 1934 – October 23, 2016) was a Canadian slalom canoeist who competed in the early 1970s. He finished 35th in the K-1 event at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.^[1]

Poenn was born in Fürth, Germany and emigrated to Canada in 1957. He was a long-time resident of Holland Landing, Ontario and owned a stainless steel manufacturing company in nearby Vaughan.^[2]

Poenn was a true pioneer in the sport of canoe slalom in Canada. In 1965, he was a member of the first Canadian team at the World Championships in Spittal, Austria. He competed in the Men’s K-1 at the Munich 1972 Olympic Games, the first appearance of canoe slalom as an Olympic-level sport. He was later a Coach for the National Team and served on the International Canoe Federation Slalom Committee. He worked to bring the Slalom and Downriver World Championships to Jonquière, Quebec in 1979.^[3]

Poenn also worked to establish the Minden White Water Preserve in Ontario, which was used to host events at the 2015 Pan American Games.^[3]

Poenn died on October 23, 2016, in Little Current, Ontario.^[2]

• List of German Canadians