Encyclopedia > Famous Canadians

Milton Acorn, (1923-1986), poet, has published 18 volumes of poetry
Charlotte Vale Allen[?], (born 1941), romantic novels
Grant Allen, (1848-1899), The Woman Who Did
Gilles Archambault - novelist, essayist, critic
Margaret Atwood, (born 1939), poet, novelist, essayist
Margaret Avison, (born 1918), poet, has published 8 volumes of poetry
Gary Barwin, Canadian writer
Pierre Berton, (born 1920), popularizer of Canadian history, TV personality, columnist
Dennison Berwick, (born 1956), 1956 - , literary travel author now working in fiction
Carol Biberstein, children's book Great Grandma's Rocking Chair
Earle Birney[?], (1904-1995), anti-conventional poet, also wrote novels, short stories, drama
Bill Bissett, (born 1939), poet, famous for incorporating sound and the visual into poetry
Di Brandt, (born 1952), Manitoba poet and literary critic
Morley Callaghan, (1903-1990), novelist, short story writer
Barry Callaghan, (born 1937), author/poet
Bliss Carman, (1861-1929), poet, wrote Low Tide on Grand Pre
Roch Carrier, (born 1937), author
Anne Carson, (born 1950), Canadian writer
Wayson Choy, (born 1939), Canadian writer, novelist
Leonard Cohen, (born 1934), poet/singer
Douglas Coupland, (born 1961), author
Robertson Davies, (1913-1995), author
William Henry Drummond[?], (1854-1907), poet, The habitant
C. J. Everon, (born 1971), historian and novelist: Justice Better Attained
Timothy Findley, (1930-2002), (See also France)
Raymond Fraser - author
Louis Fréchette[?], (1839-1908), poet, essayist, journalist, dramatist
Mavis Gallant, (born 1922), (See also France)
William Gibson, (born 1948), author
Barbara Gowdy, The Romantic; The White Bone and short stories
Arthur Hailey, (born 1920), author
Louis Hémon[?], (1880-1913), novelist and journalist, Maria Chapdelaine
Jack Hodgins, Canadian writer, novelist
Hugh Hood[?] - author
Nancy Huston, (born 1953), (See also Canada)
J. Robert Janes, (born 1932), Canadian writer
Guy Gavriel Kay, fantasy genre fiction
Robert N. Kucey, (born 1940), Canadian novelist, writer
Margaret Laurence[?], (1926-1987), author
Stephen Leacock, (1869-1944), author/humorist
Dennis Lee[?] - writer of children's poetry
Malcolm Lowry, (1909-1957), wrote Under the Volcano in Canada (1947)
Bernell MacDonald, (1966-1996), Canadian writer
Hugh MacLennan, (1907-1990), novelist and essayist, wrote Two Solitudes and Barometer Rising
Alistair MacLeod, (born 1936), Canadian writer, novelist
John Marlyn, (1912-1985), Canadian writer
Yann Martel, (born 1963), 2002 Booker Prize Winner
James McIntyre, (1827-1906), the "Cheese Poet," known as the worst poet in Canadian history
John Metcalf, Canadian writer
Rohinton Mistry, (born 1952), author
W.O. Mitchell, Who has Seen the Wind
Lucy Maude Montgomery, (1874-1942), Anne of Green Gables
Susanna Moodie[?], (1803-1885), Roughing it in the Bush
Edythe Morahan de Lauzon, poetess
Tara Moss[?], (born 1973), author of Fetish
Farley Mowat, (born 1921), Never Cry Wolf, My Discovery of America
Alice Munro[?], (born 1931), short story writer
Robert Munsch[?] - American-born writer of children's books
Emile Nelligan, (1879-1941), French-Canadian poet
B. P. Nichol, (1944-1988), poet
Michael Ondaatje, (born 1943), author
Jean Baptiste Proulx[?], (1846-1904), dramatist and essayist
David Adams Richards, (born 1950), Canadian writer, novelist
Mordecai Richler, (1931-2001), author
Gabrielle Roy, (1909-1983), author
Alvin Schwartz, Canadian writer
Carol Shields, (born 1935), author
Elizabeth Smart (author), (1913-1986), Canadian writer, novelist
Samuel Strickland[?], (1804-1867), Twenty-seven Years in Canada West
George Swede, Canadian writer
John Thompson, (1845-1913), Canadian writer
Catherine Parr Trail[?], (1802-1899), Life in the Backwoods of Canada
Michel Tremblay, (born 1942), author, playwright, poet
Jane Urquhart, (born 1949), novelist
George Woodcock, (1912-1995), poet, critic and anarchist author of Anarchism

Alleged criminals

Robert Pickton[?] -- charged with largest number of serial killings in Canadian history, and still counting
Nicholas Ribic -- charged with having taken UN hostages during the war in the Balkans

Wrongfully convicted

David Milgaard[?] - served 23 years for a murder he did not commit
Donald Marshall Jr.[?] - wrongfully convicted of murder; subject of a Supreme Court of Canada case regarding First Nations rights to natural resources
Guy Paul Morin[?] - was not only tried twice for the same crime but spent 10 years in prison for a murder he did not commit.

Explorers

Louis Joliet, (1645-1700), explorer
John Rae, (1813-1893), travelled widely through the Canadian Arctic
Charles de Salaberry, (1778-1829), soldier
William Grant Stairs, (1863-1892), Victorian explorer, discovered one source of the Nile River, first non-African to ever climb Mt.Ruwenzori
Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de la Vérendrye, (1685-1749), explored Lake Superior and Lake Winnipeg

Humanitarians

Norman Bethune, (1890-1939), surgeon,inventor, socialist, battlefield doctor in Spain and China
Terry Fox, (1958-1981), died on one legged cross county run, Canadian Hero
Rick Hansen[?], "Man in Motion" Foundation

Inventors

Alexander Graham Bell, (1847-1922), Invented the telephone in Canada, developed it in US. (Canadian/American/Scot)
Joseph-Armand Bombardier - invented the snowmobile
J. Brown[?] - invented the washing machine
Thomas Carroll[?] - first self-propelled combine harvester
Mathew Evans - co-inventor of the first electric light bulb
Charles Fenerty[?] - pulp to paper process
Reginald Fessenden - inventor the Radiotelephone and sonar - produced 1st radio broadcast
Sir Sandford Fleming, (1827-1915), inventor of the system of time zones in use today
James Gosling, (born 1956), invented Java computer language
Larry Hanson[?] - co-inventor of green plastic garbage bag
Rasmus Lerdorf[?] - invented PHP computer language used on internet
Elijah McCoy, (born 1844), inventor, automatic machinery lubricator, lawn sprinkler, the "real McCoy"
Samuel McKeen[?] - invented the Odometer
Gideon Sundback[?] - invented the zipper
Harry Wasyluk[?] - co-inventor of green plastic garbage bag
Henry Woodward - co-inventor of the first electric light bulb

Military Figures

Billy Bishop WW1 and WW2 Flying Ace
Arthur Currie[?] The nation's greatest general responsible for the WW1 victory at Vimy Ridge
John McCrae, (1872-1918), soldier, poet, author of In Flanders' Fields
Tommy Prince[?] (1915-1977), Canada's most decorated soldier, a member of the joint US/Canada special commando unit known as the Devil's Brigade[?]

Motion Pictures, Radio, & Television

See also: Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood
Pamela Anderson, (born 1967), actress
Dan Aykroyd, (born 1952), actor/comedian
Karen Black, (born 1942), actress
Bernard Braden[?] - comedian and satirist
Raymond Burr, (1917-1993), actor
James Cameron, (1954-), director
Neve Campbell, (born 1973), actress
John Candy, (1950-1994), actor/comedian
Jim Carrey, (born 1962), actor/comedian
Tommy Chong[?], (born 1938), actor/comedian
David Cronenberg, (born 1943), director
Hume Cronyn, (1911-2003), actor
Yvonne De Carlo[?] - actress
Dave Cash[?] - disc jockey
Fifi D'Orsay, (1904-1983), actress
Colleen Dewhurst[?], (1924-1991), actress
Dudley Do-Right - cartoon character
James Doohan, (born 1920), actor
Atom Egoyan[?] - director (The Sweet Hereafter)
David Foley[?] - actor
Michael J. Fox, (born 1961), actor/comedian
Brendan Fraser[?], (born 1968), actor/comedian
Victor Garber[?] - actor
Chief Dan George[?], (1899-1981), actor
Rick Green[?] - actor/comedian
Tom Green, (born 1971), actor/comedian
Graham Greene, (born 1952), actor: Dances With Wolves
Lorne Greene, (1915-1987), actor (Pa Cartwright on Bonanza), TV news anchor
Paul Gross[?] - actor
Peter Gzowski[?] -- radio personality
Monty Hall[?], (born 1921), game show host
Phil Hartman, (1948-1998), actor, Saturday Night Live
Jillian Hennessy[?] - actress, Law & Order
Foster Hewitt, (1902-1985), broadcaster
Arthur Hiller[?], (born 1923), winner of 2001 Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Oscar
Peter Jennings[?], (born 1938), News anchor
Norman Jewison, (born 1926), director, received The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award
Margot Kidder, (born 1948), actress - "Superman's Lois Lane"
Kids In The Hall - comedy troupe

René Lecavalier[?] -- broadcaster
Eugene Levy[?] - actor/comedian
Art Linkletter, (born 1912), TV personality
Rich Little[?], (born 1938), impressionist
Howie Mandell[?] - actor/comedian
Andrea Martin[?] - actor/comedian
Norm MacDonald, (born 1963), actor/comedian, Saturday Night Live
Robert MacNeil[?] - journalist: "PBS- MacNeil-Lehrer News Hour"
Rick Mercer[?] - actor/comedian, This Hour Has 22 Minutes
Lorne Michaels, (born 1944), originator of Saturday Night Live
Rick Moranis[?], (born 1954), actor
Carrie-Anne Moss, (born 1967), actor, The Matrix
Mike Myers, (born 1963), actor (Austin Powers), Saturday Night Live
Leslie Nielsen, (born 1926), actor
Catherine O'Hara[?] - actress
Sidney Olcott - (1873-1949) - directed (1907) Ben-Hur
Jason Priestly[?] - actor Beverly Hills 90210
Mary Pickford, (1892-1979), actress and producer
Christopher Plummer[?], (born 1927), actor
Gilda Radner, (1946-1989), actress, Saturday Night Live
Keanu Reeves, (born 1964), actor
Ivan Reitman[?], (born 1946), Director and Producer
Gloria Reuben[?], (born 1964), actor: ER[?]
Morely Safer[?] - journalist: "60 Minutes"
Frank Schuster[?] - comedian
Mack Sennett, (1880-1960), movie director
William Shatner, (born 1931), actor
Martin Short[?] - actor/comedian, Saturday Night Live
Jay Silverheels, (1912-1980), actor: "Tonto"
Steve Smith[?] - actor/comedian, The Red Green Show[?]
Dorothy Stratten[?] (1960-1980) - Playboy Playmate & Actress
Donald Sutherland, (born 1934), actor
Kiefer Sutherland[?], (born 1966), actor
Terrance & Phillip[?] - cartoon characters
Dave Thomas[?] - actor/comedian
Alex Trebek[?], (born 1940), game show host
Nia Vandalos[?] - actor/screenwriter, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding[?]"
Lyman Ward - actor
Johnny Wayne[?] - comedian
Fay Wray, (1907-), actress

Musicians

Bryan Adams, (born 1959), singer
Paul Anka, (born 1941), singer
Randy Bachman, (born 1943), singer
The Band (excepting Levon Helm)
Bruce Cockburn, (born 1945), singer
Stomping Tom Conners, Canadian country/folk singer/songwriter
Celine Dion, (born 1968), singer
Georges Dor[?], chansonnier, composer and singer of "La Manic"
Percy Faith[?], (1908-1976), band leader
Maynard Ferguson, (born 1928), band leader, trumpet
Nelly Furtado, pop singer
Glenn Gould, (1932-1982), pianist, composer
Paul Horn, flute player
Chantal Kreviazuk, singer
k.d. lang, (born 1961), singer
Avril Lavigne, (born 1984), singer/songwriter
Geddy Lee, (born 1953), singer, bassist, keyboardist rush
Gordon Lightfoot, (born 1938), singer/songwriter
Guy Lombardo, (1902-1977), his band's instumental version of Auld Lang Syne brought in the new year across North America for more than a generation.
Sarah McLachlan, (born 1968), singer/songwriter
Joni Mitchell, (born 1943), singer/songwriter
Alanis Morissette, (born 1974), best known for her album "Jagged Little Pill," playing God in "Dogma," and her groundbreaking work on "You Can't' Say That On Television"
Anne Murray, (born 1945), In addition to her 1970 most popular hit Snowbird she recorded some 40 albums, and won numerous Grammys. Her melodic style appeals to a slightly more adult audience, and much of her music has been adapted to elevator service.
Geoffrey O'Hara, (1882-1967), Canadian songwriter
Walter Ostanek[?] - Polka, three-time Grammy Award winner
Oscar Peterson - (1925- ) jazz pianist
Stan Rogers, (died 1983), folk musician
Paul Shaffer, (born 1949), Musical director "Letterman" show
Jane Siberry, (born 1955), singer entrepreneur
Sarah Slean, singer, songwriter, pianist
Hank Snow, (1914-1999), country & western singer
Shania Twain, (born 1965), singer
Gilles Vigneault[?] - his song Mon pays has been a significant rallying song among the Québécois.
Neil Young, (1945-), singer/songwriter

See also: List of Canadian musicians

Political Leaders

William Aberhart, (1878-1943), premier of Alberta 1935-09-03 to 1943-05-23
Robert Baldwin, (1804-1858)
Henri Bourassa, (1868-1952), Quebec politician
Rosemary Brown, (1930-2003), Canadian politician
John E. Brownlee, (1884-1961), premier of Alberta 1925-11-23 to 1934-07-10
Gordon Campbell, premier of British Columbia 2001-06-05 to ...
Georges-Étienne Cartier, (1814-1873), French statesman
Jean Charest, Quebec politician
Glen Clark, (born 1957), premier of British Columbia1996-02-22 to 1999-08-25
Amor De Cosmos, (1825-1897), premier of British Columbia 1872-12-23 to 1874-02-11
Ujjal Dosanjh, (2000-2001), premier of British Columbia 2000-02-24 to 2001-06-05
Maurice Duplessis, (1890-1959), premier of Quebec
Lord Durham, (1792-1840), (John George Lambton)
Andrew Charles Elliott[?], premier of British Columbia (1876-02-01), to 1878-06-25
Donald Getty, premier of Alberta 1985-11-01 to 1992-12-13
Herbert Greenfield, (1869-1949), premier of Alberta 1921-08-13 to 1925-11-23
Michael Harcourt, (born 1943), premier of British Columbia 1991-11-05 to 1996-02-22
C.D. Howe[?]
Joseph Howe[?]
Rita Johnston, (born 1935), premier of British Columbia 1991-04-02 to 1991-11-05
William Lyon Mackenzie King, (1874-1950), Canadian prime minister
Ralph Klein, (born 1942), premier of Alberta 1992-12-14 to ...
Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, (1807-1864)
Wilfrid Laurier, (1896-1911), Canadian prime minister
René Lévesque, (1922-1987)
Peter Lougheed, (born 1928), premier of Alberta 1971-09-10 to 1985-11-01
William Lyon Mackenzie
Ernest C. Manning, (1908-1996), premier of Alberta 1943-05-31 to 1968-12-12
Thomas D'Arcy McGee, (1825-1868), promoter of a federal union for the Canadian provinces
Louis-Joseph Papineau, (1786-1871)
Richard G. Reid, (1879-1980), premier of Alberta 1934-07-10 to 1935-09-03
Louis Riel, (1844-1885), controversial Canadian figure (hanged for treason)
Alexander C. Rutherford, (1857-1941), premier of Alberta 1905-09-02 to 1910-05-26
Louis Stephen Saint Laurent, (1882-1973), prime minister
Jeanne Sauvé, (1922-1993), governor general
Arthur L. Sifton, (1858-1921), premier of Alberta 1910-05-26 to 1917-10-30
Charles Stewart (1868-1946), premier of Alberta (1868-1946), 1917-10-30 to 1921-08-13
Harry E. Strom, (1914-1984), premier of Alberta 1968-12-12 to 1971-09-10
John Sparrow David Thompson, (1845-1913), prime minister
Pierre Elliott Trudeau, (1919-2000), Prime minister of Canada
William N. Vander Zalm, (born 1934), premier of British Columbia 1986-08-06 to 1991-04-02

(See also lists: Prime Minister of Canada, Canadian Confederation)

Religious personalities

St. Marguerite Bourgeoys[?] - first Canadian saint
St. Marie-Marguerite d'Youville[?] - founder of the Grey Nuns[?]
St. Jean de Brébeuf - martyr
St. Isaacs Jogues[?] - martyr
St. Charles Garnier[?] - martyr
St. Anthony Danile[?] - martyr
St. Gabriel Lallemant[?] - martyr
St. Noel Chabanel[?] - martyr
St. John de Lalande[?] - martyr
St. Rene Goupil[?] - martyr
Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha[?]
Blessed Frère André
Paul-Émile Cardinal Léger[?]
Abbé Lionel Groulx

Scholars

Louise Arbour, (born 1947), jurist, controversialist
Northrop Frye, (1912-1991), influential critic, Shakespeare and Blake scholar
John Kenneth Galbraith, (born 1908), economist
Marshall McLuhan, (1911-1980), Communications theorist, "The medium is the message"
John Ralston Saul, businessman, essayist, diplomat
Charles Taylor -- philosopher

Scientists

Sid Altman[?] - Molecular Biology
Frederick Banting, (1891-1941), medical scientist, co-discovered insulin
Charles Best, (1899-1978), medical scientist, co-discovered insulin
Wilfred Bigelow[?] - first artificial pacemaker
Bertram Brockhouse[?] - designed the Triple-Axis Neutron Spectroscope
William Logan, (1798-1875), founded the Geological Survey of Canada, knighted by Queen Victoria, awarded the French Legion of Honor.
Charles Edward Saunders[?] - Marquis Wheat
David Suzuki, (born 1936), Geneticist and science popularizer

For a more detailed list of renowned Canadian scientists, including Nobel Prize winners, see the outside link:

http://www.science.ca/scientists/scientists.php

Sports Personalities

Donovan Bailey, (born 1967), sprinter
Marilyn Bell, first person to swim Lake Ontario
Tommy Burns, (1881-1955), World Heavyweight boxing Champion
Myriam Bédard, (born 1969), Olympic Gold Medal
Don Cherry (hockey), ice hockey coach and commentator
Catriona LeMay Doan, (born 1970)
Marc Gagnon, (born 1975), Olympic Gold medalist
[[Nancy Greene), (born 1943), Olympic Gold Medal in Downhill Skiing
Wayne Gretzky, (born 1961), ice hockey legend
Ned hanlan[?], world champion sculler[?]
John Hayes, (1917-1998), harness racing driver
Paul Henderson, ice hockey player, scored winning goal in 1972 Canada/Russia match
Clara Hughes, (born 1972), speed skating and cycling medalist in both summer and winter olympics
Bobby Hull, (born 1939), The "Golden Jet" first player in the NHL to score more than 50 goals in a season.
Russ Jackson, Canadian footballer
Ferguson Jenkins, (born 1943), baseball pitcher[?], MLB Hall of Fame member
Gordie Howe, (born 1928), ice hockey player
Ben Johnson, (born 1961), sprinter, disqualified from Olympic gold medal for doping
Joe Krol, Canadian footballer
Joseph Lannin, owner of the Boston Red Sox who signed Babe Ruth
Mario Lemieux, (born 1965), ice hockey player
Greg Moore[?], (1975-1999)
Bronko Nagurski, (1908-1990), player with Chicago Bears
James Naismith, (1861-1939), YMCA instructor[?] who invented the game of Basketball
Bobby Orr, (born 1948), ice hockey player, considered by many to be the best ever, revolutionized the role of a defenceman
Jacques Plante, (1929-1986), pioneer ice hockey goaltender
Terry Puhl, baseball player
Maurice Richard, (1921-2000), ice hockey player, "The Rocket," first player to score 50 goals in a season
Sandra Schmirler, (1963-2000), curler
Barbara Ann Scott, figure skater, Olympic Gold Medal
Matt Stairs, (born 1968), professional baseball player
Ron Turcotte, (born 1941), jockey[?] of Secretariat
Gilles Villeneuve, (1950-1982), race car driver
Jacques Villeneuve, (born 1971), race car driver
Mike Weir, (born 1970), golfer, Masters tournament winner
Percy Williams, (1908-1982), sprinter
Steve Yzerman, (born 1965), ice hockey player

See List of famous Canadian sports personalities

Other Personalities

Scott Abbott - co-inventor of Trivial Pursuit
Linda Evangelista[?], (born 1965), supermodel
Brett Hart[?] - pro wrestler entertainer
Owen Hart, (1965-1999), pro wrestler entertainer
Chris Haney - co-inventor of Trivial Pursuit
Bat Masterson[?] - (1853-1921) gunfighter, fight promoter, sports journalist
Edgar Randolph Parker[?] - better known as "Painless" Parker - flamboyant dentist
Winnie the Pooh - aka Winnipeg the Bear who inspired Milne
Marie-Joseph Angélique, (died 1734), African slave

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