He also scored one the most famous goals in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup (pictured above). This resulted in unrest leading to the Lower Canada Rebellion of 183738. During this time, she also championed human rights while serving on various federal councils and founded several associations that worked for the welfare of women. When things went wrong in seventeenth-century Quebec, authorities were not above blaming black magic. Now in his 3rd NBA season, Wiggins is a rising star in the NBA thanks to his athleticism and skill. Christine Sinclair Hometown: Burnaby, B.C. Former Edmonton Grads basketball team members (left to right) Edith Stone Sutton (1930-34), Margaret MacBurney . In 1916 she married Pierre Casgrain, a federal Liberal politician. In honor of Canada Day, here are the 25 greatest Canadians of all time: 26. Donald Edmond "Donnie" Wahlberg Jr. was born on August 17, 1969 in Boston, Massachusetts into a family of Swedish (from his paternal grandfather), Irish, and more distant French-Canadian, English, and Scottish, descent. Hayley Wickenheiser Hometown: Shaunavon, Saskatchewan. Nancy Greene, nicknamed Tiger for her aggressive style of skiing, is one of the most decorated alpine skiers in Canadian history. He hasnt left the sport entirely, playing for charity and coaching after his retirement. He also won the French national championship in the 5000-meter race, thus qualifying him for the Olympic Games in Antwerp in 1920. Their homecoming to Toronto was nuts. Football superstar Kylian Mbapp is a forward for the France national team and Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain. And the rest is history. Wayne Douglas Gretzky is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head. Canada's national men's soccer team leaves much to be desired and are currently ranked 78th in the world. Steve Nashs stature may not immediately make you regard him as an amazing basketball player, but you know what they say about judging books by their covers. 27 Jul 1996: Donovan Bailey of Canada #1197 defeats Frankie Fredericks of Namibia #1962 and Dennis Mitchell of the USA for the gold medal in th 100m final at the Olympic Stadium at the 1996. This International Women's Day, let's celebrate some of Canada's female heroes of the past and not-so distant past. Ethel Smith (1907 - 1979). Much like Mario Lemieux, theres a good chance Orr would be considered the greatest hockey player of all time if his career wasnt cut short by injury. He returned the following year and became more involved in politics, becoming the right-hand man of Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine. Lou Marsh also worked for the Toronto Star for more than four decades and is often counted among the pioneers of sports journalism in the country. Clara Hughes Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba. He moved to Montral at the age of ten and entered the College de Montral. 47in world ranking. He was the inspiration for the 1998 movie My Giant. updated December 20, 2017, 7:59 pm, by And that wasn't the end of it. Eventually Bourassa resigned from the Liberal party and became an independent MP. List features athletes like Kaillie Humphries, Lynn Kanuka-Williams. Wickenheiser also represented Canada once in the Summer Olympics as a part of the softball team. 2 female tennis player in the world, withdrew from the French Open on Monday after she was fined $15,000 for failing to attend a post-match press conference. Crosbys dominance has continued since then, as he has captained the Penguins to 2 Stanley Cup championships, won 2 Hart trophies (NHL MVP), 2 Art Ross trophies (NHL scoring title), and a Conn Smythe trophy (playoff MVP). ski industry. Scott resigned WADA's compliance and review committee in 2018 over the reinstatement of Russia's anti-doping agency. The Somalia-born athlete spent a part of his childhood in Kenya, before moving to Canada at age 11. Born in Montral in 1786, he grew up at his family's estate and studied law. Gretzkys 1,963 assists in the NHL are greater than anyone elses points totals, although Jaromir Jagr might have something to say about that before he hangs up the skates. The first of five hockey players on the list is also the most obvious. She's a major reason why the team won back-to-back bronze medals in the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. Klassen also won a bronze medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, tying her with Clara Hughes for the Canadian record of six total medals at the Olympics. While he has yet to win a Grand Slam tournament, he did reach his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon in 2016, and reached the semi-finals at both the 2016 Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2014. With millions of followers, he is definitely one of France most famous athletes on social media. Now, Humphries competes for the United States after an acrimonious split from the Canadian program. After being elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada, Papineau became the leader of the Parti Canadien, which later became the Patriote party. Fiction Feature: Its Manitoba in 1888. Two different events. Rachel Homan is a Canadian professional curler best known for winning the gold medal at the 2017 World Curling Championships. Lionel Conacher Hometown: Toronto, Ontario. Avril Lavigne, Singer Avril Lavigne VEVO Avril Lavigne has been making music almost her whole life, and she is without a doubt one of the most successful musicians ever to come out of Canada. For a time, Canadian sprinter Donovan Bailey held the record as the fastest man in the world. She ran the anchor leg for Jane Bell, Ethel Smith and Myrtle Cook as Canada won gold in the inaugural 4x100-metre relay. Hi, Im Christine a full-time traveler and career woman. She followed those medals up with four medals over the span of three Winter Games in speedskating. With an HPI of . But she got her first Olympic start in Vancouver 2010 in alpine skiing. Just a few years after Ben Johnson had his Olympic medals stripped due to doping, Donovan Bailey captured the hearts of a nation during the 1996 Atlanta games. Edmonton basketball stars Michelle and Katherine Plouffe captured gold at the 2015 Pan Am Games, in between representing Canada at back-to-back Olympic Games. Once in Qubec City, she met Marie-Madeleine de Chauvigny de la Peltrie, founder of the Ursulines in Qubec. He has won two silver medals and three bronze medals in two Olympic Games so far. Vote for Your Favourite Canadian Athletes, (Actor and Athlete Known for His Role as Tonto in the TV Series The Lone Ranger), (Canadian Sprinter Who was the World's Fastest Man During the 1987-88 Season), (Canadian Soccer Player Who Plays as a Forward), (Onondaga Athlete Who Specialized in Distance Running), (Canadian Track and Field Athlete (Paralympic Games)), (Canadian Former Race Horse Jockey Who won the 'US Triple Crown' in 1973), (Former Canadian Figure Skater and 2-Time National Champion), (Canadian Long-Distance Runner and Olympic Silver Medalist), (Canadian Sprinter, Former World Champion, and 2-Time Olympic Medalist), (Canadian Athlete and Winner of the 100 and 200 Metres Races at the 1928 Summer Olympics), (Canadian Athlete and Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist), (Former Canadian Track and Field Athlete and Olympic Gold Medalist), (Canadian Athlete, Olympic Gold Medalist, and a Pioneer in Women's Sports), (Canadian Track and Field Athlete, Bobsledder, and Olympic Medalist), (Jamaican-Born Canadian Bobsledder and Olympic Silver Medalist), (Track and Field Athlete Who Specialized in Middle Distance Events), (Canadian Athlete Who Was the First Non-US Olympic Gold Medalist in 100m Hurdles). He is a Black Belt in both Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Ben Johnson also won a gold medal at the 1985 World Indoor Championships. Candice Quigley Ethel May Smith (July 5, 1907 - December 31, 1979) was a sprinter from Canada who won two medals at the Amsterdam 1928 Summer Olympics: a bronze medal in the 100 m, and a gold team medal in the 4 100 m relay. Elected in the Montral suburb of Verchres, he became co-premier of the unified Province of Canada along with John A. Macdonald. Crosby has been a household name in Canada since he was a young teenager, as he dominated every age group. The Canadian Press awards the Lionel Conacher award to the countrys male athlete of the year. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. Those include Sidney Crosby, Milos Raonic, Penny Oleksiak and Andre de Grasse, just to name a few. George-tienne Cartiers vision of a Canada that combined the British and French nations was the basis for the creation of our modern country. Introducing a few of the many Montralers who became important figures in Canadian history. 1 Georges St-Pierre (One of the Greatest Fighters in the History of Mixed Martial Arts) 37 21 Listed In: Sportspersons Birthdate: May 19, 1981 Sun Sign: Taurus Height: 5'10" (178 cm) 2 Glenn Ford (One of the Most Prominent Actors During Hollywood's Golden Age) 70 12 Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities Birthdate: May 1, 1916 Sun Sign: Taurus Ben Johnson who held the record of being the fastest man in the world during the 1980s was a Canadian. This whole list could be populated with hockey players, but to add a little variety, Ive chosen to limit their representation on the list. Cecil Smith, her sister Maude "Jim" Smith, and Constance Wilson competed for Canada in figure skating at the 1928 . Louis-Joseph Papineau had a reputation as a hero and a defender of the rights of French Canadians, but he was also seen as a traitor to the nation and to the Commonwealth. A native of Smith Falls, Ontario, Henderson also represented Canada at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Post-retirement, he has been working as a power skating coach. Widely considered as the greatest all-around player in hockey history, Howe set the bar by playing until age 52, a mark that has never been beat. anniversary in 2015, theEncyclopediadrew up the following list of 30 francophones from all corners of French-speaking Canada who have achieved fame in various fields. Is it better for French-speaking and English-speaking friends to go to school together, or to have a chance to learn in their own language? He competed in before making his NHL debut at 18 in 2005. Jamaican-born Canadian bobsledder Lascelles Brown is an Olympic silver medalist and a former World Champion. She then represented Great Britain at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympic Games, winning a silver medal in both the events. Basketball runs in the Parker family. By the 1960s, his idea of a bicultural Canada had made its way to Parliament, where it was promoted by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. 10 Ice hockey. He is the first Jamaican-born athlete to win a medal at the Winter Olympics. Better known as GSP, Georges helped to turn the UFC and mixed martial arts mainstream. In 2004, he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. You probably don't know these names, but you should. She was a downhill skier before switching to cycling at the urging of her coach, Patrice Ciprelli, who later became her husband. Guy Carleton (1724-1808) Sir Guy (later the Baron Dorchester) was an early and important British governor of the new English colony of Quebec, serving from 1768-1778 and then 1786-1796.He oversaw the implementation of the Quebec Act (1774), which aimed to create social peace with the French-Canadians while still asserting English political control. He was 16 when he began his martial arts training with the Canadian Army. He is best known for his performance in the 1984 Olympic Games, where he won two bronze medals. Born in 1606 to a bourgeois family in Langres in northwest France, Jeanne Mance founded Montrals first hospital. In that vein, here are, in my opinion, the five greatest French-speaking skaters and goalies of all time. He returned to Canada after being granted amnesty in 1844. She's got her eyes on a fourth Games in Tokyo this summer. He defended his world title eight times before coming out of four-year retirement to win the middleweight world title in 2017. He also piled up 11 top-10 and four top-5 major finishes in his career. 1 ranking from 1926 to 1927. Previously, she had won the bronze medal and the silver medal at the 2013 and 2014 World Curling Championships respectively. For instance, though there have been several notable Canadian baseball players, Fergie Jenkins was the first Canadian to win the Cy Young Award. Thousands and thousands of girls hit the slopes to be just like Nancy. He is deemed one of the worlds greatest athletes. In 1951, she was elected as the leader of the Qubec wing of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, becoming the first woman to head a Canadian political party. Although Im from the Philippines, my location independent career took me to over 40 countries and lived in 4 continents in the last 10 years, including France. Same result champions. The list is in alphabetical order based on last name. Similarly to Wiggins, Connor McDavid is a young superstar taking his sport by storm. updated July 10, 2021, 1:15 am, by She represented Canada at the 2008 Paralympic Games, where she won a bronze medal. She was part of the first Canadian women's track and field team to compete internationally. In 1942, she ran for federal election as a Liberal and lost. Previously dominated by the Europeans, Greene took over in 1967 winning the inaugural World Cup and seven out of 16 events on the circuit that year. He is best known for winning the US Triple Crown in 1973, riding the famous American thoroughbred racehorse, Secretariat. updated May 7, 2015, 5:50 pm, by Mance quickly established a basic hospital that would later become the Htel-Dieu de Montral. His best-known role was Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride in 1987. Few athletes on this list hold the type of legacy that Fox has among Canadians. As a young man, he excelled in athletics and became a lacrosse player. He became famous for his endurance and the way he finished a race with a spectacular burst of speed. This article originally appeared in the April-May 2017issue ofCanadas History. At that point, Greene had already won several high-profile events in Canada and The States. In PyeongChang 2018, Humphries partnered with sprinter Phylicia George winning a bronze medal. One of the enduring memories of the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games was that of moguls gold medallist Justine Dufour-Lapointe standing on the top step of the podium, looking to her right and holding hands with her older sister Chloe, the silver medallist. Canadians may remember the iconic image of her skating around the Salt Lake City Oval with a Canada flag in her hand and a black stetson on her head. Warner picked up his first Olympic medal, a bronze, at the 2016 Rio Games, and also has silver and bronze medals from the 2015 and 2013 World Championships. She's an advocate for persons with disabilities and has served as Canada's chef de mission for the 2016 Rio Paralympic team and the 2014 Commonwealth Games team. To celebrate Canadas 150th anniversary, KelownaNow is shining a light on our amazing country. The Great One holds almost every NHL record you can think of and helped Edmonton become the City of Champions in the late 1980s. He also led the 4 x 100m relay team to a gold medal in the same Olympics. He holds the Canadian record in the decathlon, and seeing how he has continued to improve throughout his career, look for him to keep making an impact at the international level in the future. In the 1920s, she helped found the Provincial Franchise Committee for Womens Suffrage and began fighting for the right for women to vote provincially in Qubec a battle that would last more than two decades before victory was achieved. Also, Crosby is a complete player with few, if any, weaknesses in his game. Tony Parkers dad and two siblings also played professional basketball. And this weekend Sidney Crosby will be taking his second Stanley Cup home to his Nova Scotia hometown. She finished third in combined pursuit at those Salt Lake City Olympics, only to be upgraded to the Olympic gold after two Russians were caught doping. The sport was dominated by Europeans at the time but Greene managed to clench the title, and went on the more glory including Olympic gold. Nicknamed The Big Train, Lionel Conacher might be the least known athlete on this list, despite having a national award named after him. Canadians have never been the strongest contenders in the summer Olympics, but for an entire generation of Canadian children, Donovan Bailey represented the height of Canadian pride. There are a number of Canadians doing good things on the PGA Tour, but that wasnt always the case. Hes a 23-time NHL All-Star and held a number of hockeys scoring records until Wayne Gretzky broke them in the 1980s. Just before winning four consecutive Olympic gold medals in hockey, Wickenheiser starred for the softball team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Klassen won five medals for Team Canada, despite the fact that there are far less medals available in the Winter Games. More than any other player, Howe played the whole game. Cindy Klassen Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba. They became just the third trio of sisters to compete in the same individual event at the Winter Games. In 1979, he wasinductedintothe National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Milos Raonic, a tennis player, was born in the former Yugoslavia, but moved with his family to Canada when he was 3 years old. By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. Throughout his career, he represented Canada at two Olympics, winning two golds and one silver and would later go on to help promote sport in the country.