Canad Inns founder, Leo Ledohowski, has passed. He left a tremendous legacy on Manitoba's hospitality industry as one of Manitoba's largest employers and the 14th-largest hotel chain in the country.
Canad Inns has nine locations in Manitoba and one in North Dakota.
Born at Winnipeg on 15 March 1944, one of six children of Walter Ledohowski (1916-1987) and Anne Zasitko (1923-2005), he was proprietor of the CanadInns hotel chain. In 1968, he married Joanne Dengis and they had four children. He received a Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002), Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012), and Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (2022), and was inducted into the Order of Manitoba (2022). He died in August 2025.
"The best hoteliers do something very special for a community; they create an unforgettable sense of place, and sense of welcome," Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
"Leo achieved this with stunning success, so that people always felt at home and always wanted to return: and all Winnipeggers have benefited from what he accomplished."
Ledohowski was a community advocate who supported local causes, including Partners in the Park, the Health Sciences Centre Foundation and the United Way of Winnipeg.
Michael Juce, president and CEO of the Manitoba Hotel Association, said Ledohowski's death was a huge loss for the industry. Juce said Ledohowski was a member of the association for decades and volunteered as a board member. The Canad Inns founder was always quick to offer to help out, Juce said, pointing to Ledohowski's efforts to grow the industry and the wider community it serves.
"He had a tremendous impact, tremendous legacy and [he's] an icon of the industry," Juce said.
Ledohowski also served on the board of the Hotel Association of Canada and the Business Council of Manitoba.
The Business Council of Manitoba said “Leo was a visionary entrepreneur who transformed the hospitality experience in Manitoba. Under his leadership, Canad Inns evolved into the province’s largest hotel chain”.
Beyond business, Ledohowski was a committed community leader. He served on the boards of the Bank of Canada, Business Development Bank of Canada, Manitoba Hotel Association, and Hotel Association of Canada. He was also the honorary consul of Ukraine in Manitoba and an honorary colonel of the Air Force Military Police Group.
A recipient of the Order of Manitoba and the University of Manitoba’s Distinguished Service Award, Ledohowski was a longtime member and past board director of the Business Council of Manitoba.