Edwards, Lucie, 1954- : Lucie Edwards was born August 26, 1954 in Ottawa, Ontario. She attended Trent University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history and economics in 1976. She completed her Master's in Public Administration at Harvard University in 1984. Ms. Edwards married Mr. Thomas Roach in September 1979.
Ms. Edwards joined the Department of External Affairs in 1976, where she began her career as a Foreign Service Trainee. Her first overseas posting was to the Canadian Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, where she served as the Second Secretary from 1977 to 1980. Following this posting, she held several positions at the Department, including Deputy Director of the Resource Management Division.
From 1986 to 1989, Ms. Edwards was posted as a Counsellor at the Canadian Embassy in Pretoria South Africa. In this position, she reported on human rights, opposition politics, and economic affairs. She was also responsible for maintaining relations with the Anti-Apartheid movements and implemented Canadian sanctions policy. From 1989 to 1992, Ms. Edwards served as the Chair of the South African Task Force where she was responsible for managing Canada's relations with South Africa. She also coordinated the Canadian role in Namibia's transition to independence and the transition to democracy in South Africa.
In 1993, Ms. Edwards was appointed as the High Commissioner in Kenya and Uganda and the Ambassador to Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, and the Comoros. In this role, she coordinated Canada's development assistance and humanitarian programs. In addition, she supported Canada's peacekeeping operations in Somalia and Rwanda as this was an extremely turbulent time in these countries. In 1995, she received the Public Service Award of Excellence for her humanitarian work during the Rwandan genocide. This same year, she returned to work at departmental headquarters, first as a Director General, then as the Assistant Deputy Minister for Corporate Services.
From 1999 to 2003, Ms. Edwards served as the High Commissioner in South Africa, concurrently in Namibia, Lesotho, Mauritius, and Swaziland. She maintained political relations at the highest level with the five governments and managed Canada's trade and development programs in Southern Africa.
In 2003, Ms. Edwards was appointed the High Commissioner in India and the Ambassador to Nepal and Bhutan. She managed Canada's largest bilateral aid program and the largest immigration office. She was also the first Ambassador to Bhutan, as Canada established formal diplomatic relations with the Royal Government of Bhutan in 2003.
From 2007 to 2009, Ms. Edwards was the Chief Strategist and Head of the Office of Transformation at the Department. She officially retired from the Government in December 2009, and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award of Excellence.
Ms. Edwards is presently teaching International Relations and Public Policy at the University of Waterloo and Wilfred Laurier University. In addition, she currently serves as Past Chair and trustee of Partners in Health Canada, and as a trustee of the Bhutan Canada Foundation and the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR).
Roach, Thomas, 1944- : Thomas Roach was born in 1944 in Bath, United Kingdom. He graduated from Trent University in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry. He received his Masters in Historical Geography from the University of Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Mr. Roach married Ms. Lucie Edwards in September 1979.
Mr. Roach accompanied Ms. Edwards on all of her diplomatic postings and served as her photographer for many significant events. In addition, he managed the household duties including planning events and supervising staff. In his own career, he has worked as a consultant, researcher, author, and editor. He has written about land use, conservation, forestry, sailing, and social issues.
