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List of Canadians
This is a list of well-known Canadians.
Architects
Artists
- The Group of Seven - painters
- The Beaver Hall Group - painters
- Robert Bateman (1930-), painter
- Paul-Émile Borduas, abstract painter
- Emily Carr (1871-1945), painter
- Raffi Cavoukian - children's entertainer
- Jack Chambers
- Susan M. Cohen Watercolour artist, Thornhill, Ontario
- Greg Curnoe (1936-1992)
- Charles Daudelin (1920-2001), sculptor
- Marcelle Ferron (1924-2001), glazier
- J.W.L. Forster 1850-1938, portraitist
- Pierre Granche (1948-1997), sculptor
- Jack Harman , (1927-2001), sculptor
- Lawren Harris - group of seven, early Canadian abstraction
- Prudence Heward (1896-1947), painter
- A.Y. Jackson - last member of Group of Seven (artists)
- Karen Kain - ballerina
- Yousuf Karsh (1908-2002), photographer
- Cornelius Krieghoff (1815-1872), painter
- Laura Muntz Lyall (1860-1930), Impressionist painter
- Robert Markle (1936-1990, painter
- Guido Molinari (1933-2004)
- Jean-Paul Mousseau, (1927-1991), muralist
- Miyuki Tanobe (1937-), painter
- Norval Morrisseau (1931-), founded 'Woodland' school of art
- Toni Onley (-2004), painter
- Bill Reid (1920-1998), sculptor
- Jack Reid
- Jean-Paul Riopelle, (1923-2002), painter
- Anne Savage (1896-1971), painter
- Tom Thomson - ill fated wilderness painter
- Jeff Wall - photographer
See also List of Canadian painters
Astronauts
Authors
- Milton Acorn, (1923-1986), poet, has published 18 volumes of poetry
- Gilles Archambault - novelist, essayist, critic
- Margaret Atwood, (born 1939), poet, novelist, essayist
- Margaret Avison, (born 1918), poet, has published 8 volumes of poetry
- Pierre Berton, (1920-2004), popularizer of Canadian history, TV personality, columnist
- 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), writer
- Wayson Choy, (born 1939), writer, novelist
- Leonard Cohen, (born 1934), poet/singer
- Douglas Coupland, (born 1961), author
- Robertson Davies, (1913-1995), author
- Timothy Findley, (1930-2002), author
- Diane Francis, (born 1946), author, journalist
- Louis Fréchette, (1839-1908), poet, essayist, journalist, dramatist
- Mavis Gallant, (born 1922), author
- William Gibson, (born 1948), author, Neuromancer
- Barbara Gowdy, The Romantic; The White Bone and short stories
- Gwethalyn Graham, (1913-1965), wrote first Canadian novel to top the United States bestseller list
- Arthur Hailey, (born 1920), author of 4 New York Times #1 bestsellers
- G.R. Hambley , (born 1958), poet renowned for "The Passing"
- Louis Hémon , (1880-1913), novelist and journalist, Maria Chapdelaine
- Jack Hodgins, writer, novelist
- Thomas Homer-Dixon, writer
- Nancy Huston, (born 1953), author
- Donald Jack, novelist, playwright
- J. Robert Janes, (born 1932), writer
- Guy Gavriel Kay, fantasy genre fiction
- Naomi Klein, anti-globalization activist
- Gordon Korman, children's author
- Margaret Laurence, (1926-1987), author
- Stephen Leacock, (1869-1944), author/humorist
- Dennis Lee, writer of children's poetry
- A. J. Levin, writer
- Hugh MacLennan, (1907-1990), novelist and essayist, wrote Two Solitudes and Barometer Rising
- Alistair MacLeod, (born 1936), writer, novelist
- Yann Martel, (born 1963), 2002 Booker Prize Winner
- Leslie McFarlane (1902-1977), wrote Hardy Boys books
- John Metcalf, writer
- Rohinton Mistry, (born 1952), author
- W.O. Mitchell, author, Who has Seen the Wind
- Lucy Maude Montgomery, (1874-1942), Anne of Green Gables
- Susanna Moodie, (1803-1885), Roughing it in the Bush
- 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
- Michael Ondaatje, (born 1943), author
- Jean Baptiste Proulx , (1846-1904), dramatist and essayist
- Nino Ricci, (born 1959), novelist; winner of the 1990 Governor General's Award for Fiction
- David Adams Richards, (born 1950), writer, novelist
- Mordecai Richler, (1931-2001), author
- Sinclair Ross, author, As for Me and My House
- Gabrielle Roy, (1909-1983), author
- Robert W. Service, "The Shooting of Dan McGrew", "The Cremation of Sam McGee","Songs of a Sourdough"
- Carol Shields, (1935-2003), author
- Elizabeth Smart, Author, "By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept"
- Samuel Strickland , (1804-1867), Twenty-seven Years in Canada West
- Catharine Parr Traill, (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
See also List of Canadian writers for a much more extensive list
Business personalities
- Max Aitken, (1879-1964), "Lord Beaverbrook" - publishing baron, entrepreneur
- Izzy Asper, (1932-2003)
- Conrad Black, (born 1944), "Lord Black of Crossharbour", entrepreneur, publisher (born Canadian but gave up his citizenship)
- Roy Thomson, (1894-1976), "Lord Thomson of Fleet", entrepreneur, publisher
- Samuel Bronfman - founded the distillery empire that later took the name of Seagram
- Robert Campeau - bankrupted Bloomingdale's Department Store, NYC
- Jack Kent Cooke - owner of the Washington Redskins
- Samuel Cunard, (1787-1865), Cunard Steamship Lines
- Paul Desmarais - Chairman: Power Corporation of Canada
- Sir James Dunn, financier, steel magnate
- Timothy Eaton, (1834-1907), founder of Eaton's (T. Eaton Company of Canada) department stores
- Bernie Ebbers - CEO (former) of WorldCom - largest bankruptcy in world history
- Alfred Fuller, (1885-1973), Fuller Brush Company
- Milton and Nelson Good - first Canadian Automobile
- K.C. Irving - Industrialist
- F. Ross Johnson (b. 1931), former CEO of RJR Nabisco
- Ron Joyce, original partner with Horton in Tim Hortons, and primary builder of the chain
- Izaak Walton Killam, (1885-1955), major financier
- Victor Li, Deputy chairman of Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited, son of Li Ka Shing
- Pete Luckett - owner of Pete's Frootique and host of The Food Hunter
- William C. Macdonald (1831-1917), tobacco manufacturer, education philanthropist
- Louis B. Mayer, (1885-1957), co-founder: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios
- Harrison McCain - New Brunswick potato magnate
- Sam McLaughlin - Buick Automobile Manufacturer
- Simon McTavish (1750-1804), fur trader
- John Molson, (1763-1836), founder of Molson Breweries
- Peter Munk, (1927-), founder of Barrick Gold
- Jimmy Pattison -West Coast billionaire
- John Redpath, canal builder, sugar refinery founder
- Paul Reichmann - sunk by Canary Wharf
- John Roth - CEO (former) Nortel Networks - "the most successful businessman in modern Canadian history"....Time Europe 12/25/00
- Lino Saputo , (1937-), founder of Saputo
- Isadore Sharp, founder of the Four Seasons Hotel chain.
- John F. Stairs, (1848-1904), entrepreneur, statesman
- Frank Stronach - entrepreneur, founder of Magna.
- E. P. Taylor - entrepreneur, thoroughbred horse breeder
- Nat Taylor - movie theatre mogul, originator of the multi auditorium movie theatre or cineplex
- Greg & Mac Voisin , founders and co-owners of M&M Meat Shops Ltd.
- Sir William Cornelius Van Horne - Railway executive who directly oversaw construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway
- Jack Warner, (1892-1978), founder of Warner Bros. Studios
- Greg & Mac Voisin , founders and co-owners of M&M Meat Shops
Cartoonists
- Aislin, cartoonist with the Montreal Gazette newspaper
- Chester Brown - comic book creator, Yummy Fur, Underwater and Louis Riel
- John Byrne - cartoonist/writer best known for his work on superhero characters like The Fantastic Four and Superman.
- Jennifer Cuthbert - The Adventures of Lollipop
- Lynn Johnston - writer/cartoonist, For Better or For Worse
- Joe Matt - comic book creator, Peep Show
- Todd McFarlane, (born 1961), cartoonist/writer, Spawn, Spider-Man
- Seth - comic book creator, Palookaville
- Dave Sim - comic book creator, Cerebus the Aardvark
- Joe Shuster, (1914-1992), creator of Superman
- Ben Wicks, illustrator and comic strip cartoonist, as well as humanitarian
Criminals
- Paul Bernardo (born 1964), murderer
- Edwin Alonzo Boyd , bank robber
- Marc Carbonneau, terrorist
- Jacques Cossette-Trudel , terrorist
- Louise Cossette-Trudel, terrorist
- Larry Fisher, murderer
- Karla Homolka, murderer (Mrs. Paul Bernardo)
- Jacques Lanctôt, FLQ Terrorist
- Yves Langlois, FLQ Terrorist
- Robert Latimer, murdered his 12-year-old disabled daughter
- Marc Lépine, killed 14 women at Montreal's Ecole Polytechnique in 1989
- Bernard Lortie, FLQ Terrorist
- Denis Lortie, killed three people at the Quebec National Assembly in 1984
- Clifford Olson , serial child killer
- Paul Rose, terrorist
- Jacques Rose, terrorist
- Francis Simard, terrorist
- Colin Thatcher, murderer
- Inderjit Singh Reyat -- the alleged bomb-maker of the device that blew up Air India Flight 182, pleaded guilty to the murder of the 329 passengers in 2003
Alleged criminals
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.
Educators
Explorers
- George Mercer Dawson, (1849-1901), explored and surveyed Canadian Rockies, Canada/US boundary
- Simon Fraser, (1776-1862), established first trading posts west of the Rockies; explored the Fraser River.
- Louis Joliet, (1645-1700), explorer
- Alexander Mackenzie, first to reach the Pacific north of Mexico via an overland route
- John Rae, (1813-1893), travelled widely through the Canadian Arctic
- Charles de Salaberry, (1778-1829), soldier
- William Grant Stairs, (1863-1892), Victorian era explorer, discovered one source of the Nile River, first non-African to ever climb Mt.Ruwenzori
- David Thompson, (1770-1857), mapped the Columbia River from source to mouth.
- Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de la Vérendrye, (1685-1749), explored Lake Superior and Lake Winnipeg
- Jean Escueta , explored all the types of positions in bed
Humanitarians
- Grey Owl (Archibald Belaney) - Fur Trapper and Conservationist who posed as a Native American
- Norman Bethune, (1890-1939), surgeon,inventor, socialist, battlefield doctor in Spain and China
- Richard Bucke, 1837-1902, progressive psychiatrist, theorist, philosopher, early author on human development and human potentials
- Steve Fonyo, Retraced and completed Terry Fox's cross country cancer research fundraising marathon.
- Terry Fox, (1958-1981), attempted one-legged cross country run for cancer research, Canadian Hero
- Rick Hansen, Parapelegic athlete who completed an around the world marathon for spinal cord injury research.
- Jean Vanier Founder of L'arche .
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
- Reginald Fessenden, (1866-1932), inventor the Radiotelephone and sonar - produced 1st radio broadcast
- Sir Sandford Fleming, (1827-1915), inventor of the system of standard time zones in use today
- Wilbur R. Franks - invented the "anti-black-out-suit" (the G-suit)
- James Gosling, (born 1956), invented Java computer language
- Larry Hanson - co-inventor of green plastic garbage bag
- Sam Jacks - inventor of ringette
- Rasmus Lerdorf - invented PHP computer language used on Internet
- Elijah McCoy, (born 1844), Black inventor, automatic machinery lubricator, lawn sprinkler, the "real McCoy"
- Samuel McKeen - invented the Odometer
- P.L. Robertson invented the Robertson screw
- Gideon Sundback - invented the zipper
- Lewis Urry - invented the long-lasting alkaline battery
- Harry Wasyluk - co-inventor of green plastic garbage bag
- Henry Woodward - co-inventor of the first electric light bulb
Military figures
- Gustave Biéler (1904-1944), SOE agent, executed by the Nazis
- Billy Bishop WW1 and WW2 Flying Ace
- Sir Isaac Brock, (1769-1812) War of 1812 general who successfully defended Canada in the early phase of the war
- Roy Brown, (1893-1944) - WWI fighter pilot officially credited with shooting down the Red Baron
- Arthur Currie The nation's greatest general responsible for the WW1 victory at Vimy Ridge
- Roméo Dallaire - UN peacekeeping General who attempted to interfere with the Rwandan Genocide, with little support from his superiors.
- Peter Dmytruk (1920-1943), WW II Flight Sergeant and member of the French Resistance
- John Kenneth Macalister (1914-1944), SOE agent, executed by the Nazis
- John McCrae (1872-1918), soldier, poet, author of In Flanders' Fields
- Andrew McNaughton, Minister of Defense during World War II
- Henry Norwest (1884-1918), one of the most famous snipers of World War I
- Francis Pegahmagabow (1891-1952), the most highly decorated aboriginal Canadian soldier of World War I
- Frank Pickersgill (1915-1944), SOE agent, executed by the Nazis
- George Lawrence Price (1898-1918), last soldier killed in World War I.
- Tommy Prince (1915-1977), one of Canada's most decorated soldiers, a member of the joint US/Canada special commando unit known as the Devil's Brigade
- James Ralston, Minister of Defense during World War II
- Roméo Sabourin (1923-1944), SOE agent, executed by the Nazis
- Sam Steele (1851-1919), A member of the North West Mounted Police most famous for his command of a detachment in the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush
- William Stephenson (codename: Intrepid) (1896-1989), soldier, airman, spymaster, and the senior representative of British intelligence for the western hemisphere in World War II.
Stage, Motion pictures, radio and television
- See also: List of Canadian entertainers, Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood
- Pamela Anderson (born 1967), model, actress
- Dan Aykroyd (born 1952), actor/comedian
- Robert Beatty (1909 - 1992), actor
- Geneviève Bujold (born 1942), actress
- James Cameron (born 1954), director
- Neve Campbell (born 1973), actress (Scream series, Party of Five)
- John Candy (1950-1994), actor/comedian
- Jim Carrey (born 1962), actor/comedian
- Leslie Cheung (1956-2003), Hong Kong-based actor/singer
- Tommy Chong (born 1938), actor
- Sidney M. Cohen (born 1947), TV Director and program creator
- David Cronenberg (born 1943), director
- Elisha Cuthbert (born 1982), actress (Popular Mechanics for Kids , Old School)
- Richard Day , art director, winner of seven Academy Awards
- Nicole DeBoer (born 1970), actress (Cube)
- Yvonne De Carlo, (born 1922), actress
- James Doohan (born 1920), actor ("Scotty" on Star Trek)
- Marie Dressler, actress, Academy Award winner
- Douglass Dumbrille (1889-1974), prominent character actor
- Deanna Durbin (born 1921), singer and actress
- Atom Egoyan - director (The Sweet Hereafter)
- Joe Flaherty (born 1941), actor/comedian
- Michael J. Fox (born 1961), actor/comedian (Back to the Future trilogy, Spin City, Family Ties, Stuart Little (voice))
- Barbara Frum - radio and television journalist
- Tom Green (born 1971), actor/comedian
- Lorne Greene (1915-1987), actor ('Pa Cartwright on Bonanza), TV news anchor
- Peter Gzowski (1934-2002), radio personality
- Monty Hall (born 1921), host of Let's Make a Deal
- Tricia Helfer (born 1974), actress, model
- Natasha Henstridge (born 1974), actress, model
- Foster Hewitt (1902-1985), broadcaster
- May Irwin (1862-1938), vaudeville singer, actress
- Peter Jennings (born 1938), News anchor
- Norman Jewison (born 1926), director, received The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award
- Margot Kidder, Lois Lane in Superman
- Eugene Levy, actor/comedian
- Beatrice Lillie (1894-1989), comedic actress
- Evangeline Lilly (born 1979), actress (Lost)
- Art Linkletter (born 1912), variety show host
- Norm MacDonald - actor/comedian
- Peter Mansbridge (born 1948), News anchor
- Louis B. Mayer, co-founder MGM
- Eric McCormack - actor Will & Grace
- Rick Mercer - actor/comedian, This Hour Has 22 Minutes
- Wendy Mesley, television journalist
- Lorne Michaels (born 1944), originator of Saturday Night Live
- Rick Moranis, actor (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids)
- Colin Mochrie (born 1957), comedian
- Mike Myers (born 1963), actor (Austin Powers series, Saturday Night Live)
- Leslie Nielsen (born 1926), actor
- Anna Paquin (born 1982), actress (raised in New Zealand)
- Mary Pickford (1892-1979), actress and producer, cofounder of United Artists
- Christopher Plummer (born 1927), actor
- Keanu Reeves (born 1964), actor
- Caroline Rhea (born 1964), actress, talk show host
- Lloyd Robertson (born 1934), News anchor
- Kelly Rowan (born 1967), actress
- Mack Sennett (1880-1960) film producer
- William Shatner (born 1931), actor (Captain Kirk on Star Trek)
- Norma Shearer actress, Academy Award winner
- Martin Short - actor/comedian, Saturday Night Live
- Dorothy Stratten (1960-1980), actress, Playboy model
- Donald Sutherland (born 1934), actor
- Kiefer Sutherland (born 1966), actor (24), son of Donald, grandson of Tommy Douglas
- Meg Tilly (born 1960), actress, sister of Jennifer Tilly
- Cali Timmins (born 1963), actress (Maggie Shelby on Ryan's Hope)
- Alex Trebek (born 1940), game show host (Jeopardy!)
- Nia Vardalos (born 1962), actress, producer, screenwriter (My Big Fat Greek Wedding)
- Pamela Wallin, television journalist
- Jack Warner, cofounder of Warner Brothers
- Estella Warren, supermodel, actress
- Austin Willis, (1914-2004), actor
- Moses Znaimer (born 1942), television mogul Citytv, Bravo, MuchMusic
Musicians
- Bryan Adams, (born 1959), singer
- Paul Anka, (born 1941), singer
- Talena Atfield, bassist and vocalist of Kittie
- Randy Bachman, (born 1943), singer
- Tal Bachman , singer and the son of the above
- The Band (excepting Levon Helm)
- Lenny Breau, (1941-1984), guitarist
- Len Cariou, (born 1939), actor/singer
- Wilf Carter, (1904-1996), singer
- Leslie Cheung, (1946-2003), Hong Kong-based actor/singer
- Bruce Cockburn, (born 1945), singer
- Leonard Cohen, (born 1934), singer, songwriter
- Stomping Tom Connors , Canadian country/folk singer/songwriter
- Andy Creeggan , the Barenaked Ladies
- Céline Dion, (born 1968), singer
- Fefe Dobson, (born 1987), singer/songwriter
- Georges Dor, chansonnier, composer and singer of "La Manic", novelist, playwright
- 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
- Tommy Hunter (born 1937), country singer
- Colin James,(b. 1964), singer/songwriter
- Pauline Julien (1928-1998), singer/songwriter
- Andy Kim (born 1952), singer/songwriter
- Chantal Kreviazuk, singer
- k.d. lang, (born 1961), singer
- La Bolduc, (born 1897-1941), 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 instrumental version of Auld Lang Syne brought in the new year across North America for more than a generation.
- Loreena McKennitt (born 1957), singer
- Sarah McLachlan, (born 1968), singer/songwriter
- Joni Mitchell, (born 1943), singer/songwriter
- Alanis Morissette, (born 1974), singer/songwriter
- Anne Murray, (born 1945), singer/songwriter
- Geoffrey O'Hara, (1882-1967), songwriter
- Walter Ostanek - Polka, three-time Grammy Award winner
- Oscar Peterson - (1925- ) jazz pianist
- Stan Rogers, (1949-1983), 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
- Harry Somers (1925-1999), composer
- Lara St. John (born 1971), violinist
- Lucille Starr (born 1938), singer
- Skye Sweetnam (born 1989), singer
- Salli Terri, (1922-1996), mezzo soprano
- Devin Townsend, (born 1972), singer/songwriter/producer
- Shania Twain, (born 1965), singer/songwriter
- Gilles Vigneault - his song Mon pays has been a significant rallying song among the Québécois.
- Hawksley Workman, singer/songwriter/producer/performer
- Neil Young, (born1945), singer/songwriter
Political leaders
- Sir John Joseph Caldwell Abbott, (1821-1893) 3rd Prime Minister of Canada
- William Aberhart, (1878-1943), premier of Alberta 1935-09-03 to 1943-05-23
- John Aird, (1923-1995), Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
- Lincoln Alexander, (1922- ), Lieutennant Governor of Ontario
- Lloyd Axworthy, (1939- ), Former Cabinet Minister
- Reuben Baetz , (1923-1996), Executive Director of Canadian Council on Social Development
- Robert Baldwin, (1804-1858), Co-premier of Upper Canada
- Maude Barlow, activist, Chairperson of the Council of Canadians
- James Bartleman, (1939- ), Lieutennat Governor of Ontario
- Perrin Beatty, (1950- ), former cabinet minister, president of CBC
- Monique Begin, (1936- ), former cabinet minister
- Richard Bedford Bennett, (1870-1947), former Prime Minister
- W.A.C. Bennett, (1900-1979), former Premier of British Columbia
- William Richards Bennett,(1932- ), former Premier of British Columbia
- Thomas Berger, (1933- ), Jurist
- Big Bear, (1825-1888) Cree leader
- Patrick Binns, (1948- ), premier of Prince Edward Island
- Allan Blakeney, (1925- ), former Premier of Saskatchewan
- Ethel Blondin-Andrew (1951- ), Cabinet minister
- Sir Robert Borden, (1854-1937), former Prime Minister of Canada
- Lucien Bouchard, (1938- ), former Premier of Quebec
- Henri Bourassa, (1868-1952), Quebec politician
- Robert Bourassa, (1933-1996), former Premier of Quebec
- Pierre Bourgault, (1934-2003), President of Rassemblement pour l'indépendance nationale
- James Bourque, (1935-1996), former member of the Privy Council
- Sir Mackenzie Bowell, (1823-1917), former Prime Minister of Canada
- John Bracken, (1883-1969), former Premier of Manitoba
- Joseph Brant, (1742-1807), Mohawk leader
- Molly Brant, (1736-1796), leader of Six Nations women's federation
- Ed Broadbent, (1936- ), former NDP leader
- George Brown, (1818-1880), played major role in confederation
- Rosemary Brown, (1930-2003), Canadian politician
- John E. Brownlee, (1884-1961), premier of Alberta 1925-11-23 to 1934-07-10
- John Buchanan, (1931- ), former premier of Nova Scotia
- Tim Buck, (1891-1973), former leader of the Canadian Communist Party
- Gordon Campbell, premier of British Columbia 2001-06-05 to ...
- Kim Campbell, The first female prime minister of Canada in 1993
- Sir George-Étienne Cartier, (1814-1873), French-Canadian statesman
- Jean Charest, (born 1958) elected premier of Quebec in 2003.
- Brock Chisholm, (1896 - 1971), first Director-General of the WHO
- Jean Chrétien (born 1934), prime minister of Canada 1993-2003
- Glen Clark, (born 1957), premier of British Columbia 1996-02-22 to 1999-08-25
- David Collenette, Canadian politician
- 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
- Tommy Douglas (1904-1986) premier of Saskatchewan from 1944 to 1961.
- 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, senior Cabinet minister in the governments of Mackenzie King and St. Laurent
- Joseph Howe, 19th century Nova Scotia politician and Father of Confederation
- 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) co-premier of the United Province of Canada
- Wilfrid Laurier, (1896-1911), Canadian prime minister
- René Lévesque, (1922-1987), premier of Quebec
- Peter Lougheed, (born 1928), premier of Alberta 1971-09-10 to 1985-11-01
- William Lyon Mackenzie, first mayor of Toronto and 1837 rebellion leader
- Ernest 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
- Agnes Macphail - Canada's first female Member of Parliament and subsequently a leader in penal reform for Canada
- Beverley McLachlin - Current Chief Justice of Canada
- Brian Mulroney (born 1939), prime minister 1984-1993
- Piapot, (c.1816 – 1908) Cree Chief
- Louis-Joseph Papineau, (1786-1871) Quebec politician, reformer and 1837 rebellion leader
- Richard G. Reid, (1879-1980), premier of Alberta 1934-07-10 to 1935-09-03
- Louis Riel, (1844-1885), leader of two Métis uprisings (hanged for treason)
- Alexander C. Rutherford, (1857-1941), premier of Alberta 1905-09-02 to 1910-05-26
- Louis Stephen St. Laurent, (1882-1973), prime minister
- Jeanne Sauvé, (1922-1993), first female 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
- Tecumseh (1768-1813) Shawnee leader who played a key role in the defence of Canada in the War of 1812
- W. Ross Thatcher, (1917–1971), premier of Saskatchewan 1964-May 2 to 1971-June 30
- John Sparrow David Thompson, (1845-1894), prime minister
- Pierre Elliott Trudeau, (1919-2000), prime minister of Canada 1968-1979; 1980-1984.
- John Napier Turner (born 1929), prime minister of Canada in 1984
- William N. Vander Zalm, (born 1934), premier of British Columbia 1986-08-06 to 1991-04-02
- The Valiant Five, 1920s women's rights activists
(See also lists: Prime Minister of Canada, Canadian Confederation, Members of the Canadian House of Commons)
Religious personalities
Scholars
- Louise Arbour, (born 1947), jurist
- Jack Chambers, linguist
- 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 Peters Humphrey, (1905-1995), legal scholar, principal drafter of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- John Ralston Saul, businessman, essayist, diplomat
- F. R. Scott, (1899-1985), law professor, philosopher, poet
- 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
- Sir William Dawson, (1820 – 1899), first Canadian-born scientist of worldwide reputation
- William Francis Giauque - 1949 Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry
- James Gosling - Programmer, inventor of Java
- Gerhard Herzberg - 1971 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry for Molecular Spectroscopy
- David Hubel - 1981 Nobel Prize winner in Medicine for mapping the visual cortex
- Doreen Kimura - Behavioural Psychologist: World expert on sex differences in the brain
- Julia Levy - Microbiologist: co-discovered photodynamic anti-cancer drugs
- William Logan, (1798-1875), founded the Geological Survey of Canada, knighted by Queen Victoria, awarded the French Legion of Honor.
- John Macoun, (1831 – 1920) - Noted botanist.
- Rudolph Marcus - 1992 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for electron transfer reactions (e.g. rust)
- Maud Menten - (1879-1960), medical scientist, made groundbreaking work in enzyme kinetics
- Henry Morgentaler - abortionist who helped strike all abortions in Canada and strenghten the power of jury nullification in Canada
- Sir William Osler - Physician, "most influential physician in history"
- Wilder Penfield - Neurosurgeon, discovered electrical stimulation of the brain
- John Polanyi - 1986 winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for infrared chemiluminescence
- Hubert Reeves - Astrophysicist and science popularizer
- Charles Edward Saunders - Marquis Wheat
- Arthur Schawlow - 1981 Nobel Prize winner in Physics (for lasers)
- Myron Scholes - 1997 Nobel Prize winner in Economics
- Hans Selye - (1907-1982) - pioneering stress researcher
- Michael Smith (1932-2000), 1993 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry for site-based mutagenesis
- David Suzuki, (born 1936), geneticist and science popularizer
- Henry Taube - 1983 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for electron transfer reactions
- Richard Taylor - 1990 Nobel Prize in Physics for verifying the Quark Theory
- Irene Ayako Uchida - Cytogenticist: World-famous Down syndrome researcher
- William Vickrey - 1996 Nobel Prize winner in economics
- Tuzo Wilson - Geophysicist. plate tectonics
For a more detailed list of renowned Canadian scientists, including Nobel Prize winners, see the outside link:
Sports personalities
- Donovan Bailey, (born 1967), sprinter
- Jason Bay, (born 1978), baseball player
- Chris Benoit, (born 1967, WWE wrestler
- Jean Béliveau, (born 1931), ice hockey player
- Marilyn Bell, first person to swim Lake Ontario
- Big Ben, (1976-1999), world champion show-jumping horse
- Tommy Burns, (1881-1955), World Heavyweight boxing Champion
- Myriam Bédard, (born 1969), Olympic Gold Medal
- Don Cherry, ice hockey coach and commentator
- Adam Copeland, a.k.a. "Edge" WWE wrestler
- Victor Davis (1964-1989), Olympic swimming champion
- George Dixon (1870-1909), first black World boxing champion; first Canadian-born World boxing champion
- Catriona LeMay Doan, (born 1970), two-time Olympic gold medalist in speed skating
- Yvon Durelle, (born 1929), boxing champion
- Stewart Elliott, (born 1965), jockey
- Randy Ferbey (born 1959), curling
- Eric Gagne, (born 1976), baseball player, Los Angeles Dodgers closer, 2003 National League Cy Young Award
- 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
- Mike Harris , (born 1967), curler
- Sandy Hawley, (born 1949), Hall of Fame jockey
- John Hayes, (1917-1998), harness racing driver
- Ann Heggtveit, (born 1939), world and 1960 Winter Olympics ski champion
- Paul Henderson, ice hockey player, scored winning goal in 1972 Summit Series
- Matthew Hilton, world champion boxer
- 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.
- Chris Irvine , a.k.a. "Chris Jericho" WWE wrestler
- Russ Jackson, Canadian footballer
- Ferguson Jenkins, (born 1943), baseball pitcher, MLB Hall of Fame member
- Jennifer Jones
- Gordie Howe, (born 1928), ice hockey legend
- Ben Johnson, (born 1961), sprinter, disqualified from Olympic gold medal for doping
- Colleen Jones, (born 1959) Curler
- Gail Kim, WWE wrestler
- Joe Krol, Canadian footballer
- Joseph Lannin, owner of the Boston Red Sox who signed Babe Ruth
- Lucien Laurin, (1912-2000), Hall of Fame trainer of Secretariat
- Kelley Law, (born 1966), curler
- Mario Lemieux, (born 1965), ice hockey player
- Kevin Martin (curling), (born 1966), curler
- Ian Millar, World Champion equestrian rider
- Howie Meeker, (1924-) Hockey player, commentator, coach
- Greg Moore, (1975-1999)
- Bronko Nagurski, (1908-1990), player with Chicago Bears, member of U.S. Pro Football Hall of Fame
- James Naismith, (1861-1939), YMCA instructor who invented the game of Basketball
- Steve Nash, (born 1974), NBA star with Dallas Mavericks
- Northern Dancer, thoroughbred racing champion
- Willie O'Ree, (born 1935), first black ice hockey player in the NHL
- Bobby Orr, (born 1948), ice hockey player, considered by many to be the best ever, revolutionized the role of a defenceman
- Guy Owen, (1911-1952), ice skating champion
- Paris Crew , world rowing champions in 1867
- Scott Patterson, (born ~1970), curler, killed in a vehicle accident at age 34
- Jacques Plante, (1929-1986), pioneer ice hockey goaltender
- Sandra Post, (born 1948), golfer
- Terry Puhl, baseball player
- Jason Reso, a.k.a. "Christian" WWE wrestler
- Maurice Richard, (1921-2000), ice hockey player, "The Rocket," first to score 50 goals in a season
- Patrick Roy, (born 1965), legendary ice hockey goalie
- Sandra Schmirler, (1963-2000), curler
- Barbara Ann Scott, figure skater, Olympic Gold Medal
- Matt Stairs, (born 1968), professional baseball player
- Patricia Stratigias, a.k.a. "Trish Stratus" WWE wrestler
- Paul Tracy, (born 1968), CART racing Champion
- Ron Turcotte, (born 1941), jockey of Secretariat
- Mike Vanderjagt, (born 1970), placekicker for Indianapolis Colts
- Gilles Villeneuve, (1950-1982), race car driver
- Jacques Villeneuve, (born 1971), race car driver, son of Gilles
- Larry Walker, (born 1966), baseball star for the St. Louis Cardinals
- Mike Weir, (born 1970), golfer, Masters tournament winner
- Lucille Wheeler, (born 1935), alpine ski champion
- Percy Williams, (1908-1982), sprinter
- Steve Yzerman, (born 1965), ice hockey player
See also:
Other personalities
- Frédéric Jeanbart , one of the main promoters and thinkers of the IT/Web expansion in Quebec
- Scott Abbott - co-inventor of Trivial Pursuit
- Marie-Joseph Angélique, executed for setting the city of Montreal on fire
- The Great Antonio - strongman, showman, and eccentric
- The Black Donnellys - the common nickname for the notorious Donnelly family who were the participants and/or victims of a vicious community feud in Lucan, Ontario that ended with a home invasion and massacre of the family by the residents of the community.
- Linda Evangelista, (born 1965), supermodel
- Bret Hart, (born 1957), professional wrestler
- Owen Hart, (1965-1999), professional wrestler, brother of Bret
- Chris Haney - co-inventor of Trivial Pursuit
- Josiah Henson - former slave, believed to be the inspiration for "Uncle Tom's Cabin".
- Bat Masterson - (1853-1921) gunfighter, fight promoter, sports journalist
- Charles Vance Millar - (1853-1926) Lawyer and financier and posthumous practical joker and birth control activist with his will.
- Henry Morgentaler - Doctor, who caused Canada's abortion statute to be struck down as unconstitutional.
- Daniel Negreanu - Professional poker player
- Edgar Randolph Parker - better known as "Painless" Parker - flamboyant dentist
- Winnie the Pooh - aka Winnipeg the Bear who inspired Milne
- Alexander Ross -aka The Birdman, pre-American Civil War abolitionist and participant in the Underground Railroad
- Sue Rodriguez, (1950-1994), ALS sufferer and right to die advocate
- Joshua Slocum, (1844-1909?) - First man who sail around the world solo.
- Margaret Trudeau (born 1948), former wife of Pierre Elliott Trudeau
See also: Asian-Canadian, List of Canadian Heroes and Heroines, List of wealthy Canadians, The Greatest Canadian, Black Canadian, List of Quebecois, List of Canadian Jews
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