Home : Resource Centre : People and Society : Exceptional Canadians
Exceptional Canadians
  • Military Heroes
  • Musicians
  • Nation Builders
  • Nobel Laureates
  • Others
  • Poets
  • Politicians and Prime Ministers
  • Scientists



    • Academics


    Actors/Theatre/Movies/Radio/Televison


    Artists

    • Ashevak, Kenojuak
      Probably Inuit art's most famous artist - a brief biography.


    • Bateman, Robert
      An excellent site with a brief biography and examples of his art.


    • Bateman, Robert
      The Canadian Encyclopedia biography.


    • Borduas, Paul-Emile
      Article discussing the influence of Borduas on the secularization of Quebec in the mid-20th century


    • Borduas, Paul-Émile
      Paul-Émile Borduas and the Refus global.


    • Carr, Emily
      This artist is considered one of the continent's most significant visionary painters of the 20th century.


    • Carr, Emily
      Brief biography of famed Canadian artist Emily Carr


    • Colville, Alex
      Robert Fulford on the artist.


    • Colville, Alex
      Brief biography.


    • Danby, Ken
      Ken Danby: The Art and the Artist.


    • Danby, Ken
      At the Crease. A portrait of an anonymous goalie, which has been described as a national icon


    • Harris, Lawren
      Article about the sale of Lawren Harris’ painting “Winter in the Northern Woods”.


    • Johnston, Lynn
      The web site of the creator of For Better or For Worse


    • Johnston, Lynn
      Very brief article.


    • Kane, Paul
      Biography of 19th century Irish born artist and writer Paul Kane.


    • Kane, Paul - Interactive
      A prototype of an interactive site about Paul Kane. Worth a visit.


    • Karsh, Yousuf
      An internationally renowned Canadian portrait photographer.


    • Kreighoff, Cornelius
      The Canadian Encyclopedia entry.


    • Leclerc, Felix
      Biography of Singer-songwriter, poet, novelist, playwright, actor, Felix Leclerc. From the Canadian Encyclopedia.


    • Leclerc, Felix
      Biography of Singer-songwriter, poet, novelist, playwright, actor, Felix Leclerc. From the Canadian Encyclopedia.


    • McFarlane, Todd
      Creator of the comic book Spawn. A biography.


    • Nationalism and the Arts: The Group of Seven
      An article on the Group of Seven from the University of Mount Allison About Canada : Multimedia Study Guide Resources .


    • Pitseolak, Peter
      A brief biography and some links.


    • Reid, Bill
      The Spirit of Haida Gwaii.


    • Riopelle, Jean-Paul
      Profile of Quebecois artist Jean-Paul Riopelle.


    • Shuster, Joe
      Superman at The Star Joe Shuster's (the creator of Superman comics) links to Toronto.


    • Simcoe, Lady Elizabeth
      Travels With Elizabeth Simcoe: A Visual Journey Through Upper and Lower Canada.


    • Suzor-Coté, Marc-Aurèle de Foy
      (1869-1937) Links to the artists paintings and sculptures.


    • The Internet Archive of Canadian Professional Artists
      A Canadian online contemporary art centre with exhibitions, resources , collections. Partners include Industry Canada's digitalized collection.


    • Thomson, The Tom Thomson Virtual Gallery
      This site is a showcase for works by Thomson, the Group of Seven, and by various Canadian Contemporary artists.It includes biographies, and background information. It was produced under contract to Industry Canada.


    • Thomson, Tom
      A very interesting site. Information about the work, the artist and his influences.


    • Thomson, Tom
      Profile of Canadian artist Tom Thomson.


    • Wicks, Ben
      A biography and bibliography from the National Library of Canada site.


    • Women Artists in Canada.
      A directory of women artists in Canada with their biographies and works. It includes a collection section, a dissertation section and a very useful bibliography section. A very comprehensive and impressive Art Centre with a strong focus on artistic education.



    Athletes


    Authors (see also: Literature)

    • Atwood, Margaret
      Margaret Atwood's official site.


    • Berton, Pierre
      Biography, photo album, articles on him, awards and recognition.


    • Berton, Pierre
      One of the most eminent and honoured English Canadian authors.


    • Davies, Robertson
      A Canadian literary legend. - The Canadian Encyclopedia entry.


    • Duncan, Sara Jeannette (1861-1922)
      (1861- 1922) The author is becoming recognized as one of the best of our early novelists. Reviews of The Imperialist and Set in Authority.


    • Ernest Thompson Seton: His Life and Legacies
      Biography, chronology, awards and links.


    • Frye, Northrop
      A short biography, bibliography and some links.


    • Gallant, Mavis
      Primarily a short story writer, she is published regularly in The New Yorker. A companion of the Order of Canada. Entry in The Canadian Encyclopedia.


    • Garneau, Michel
      The success of his translations of Shakespeare into "joual" rival that of Michel Garneau's 40 original plays. This site offers a biography, a list of works and resumés of his plays.


    • Haliburton, Thomas Chandler
      Creator of Sam Slick - a biography, bibliography and links.


    • Halliburton, Thomas Chandler
      The Clockmaker written by Thomas Chandler Halliburton in 1836


    • Hébert, Anne
      A publisher's site for Anne Hébert offering a biography, list of works, and links to profiles of selected works.


    • Johnson, E. Pauline
      The first Native Canadian poet to have her work published in Canada. A comprehensive site - life, poetry pictures - from the McMaster archives.


    • Laurence, Margaret
      The archives of York University.


    • Laurence, Margaret
      Biography of Margaret Laurence, one of Canada's most esteemed and beloved writers.


    • Lee, Dennis
      A brief biography and a few of his poems.


    • Leprohon, Rosanna (1829-1879)
      Brief biography and a list of selected works by one of the earliest Canadian novelists.


    • Mistry, Rohinton
      Biography and bibliography from the National Library of Canada.


    • Mitchell, W.O.
      A biocritical essay, pictures, information on the authors papers, writings by others who knew him and links to other sites.


    • Mitchell, W.O.
      W.O. Mitchell novelist, dramatist celebrated for his novel Who has seen the Wind. From the Canadian Encyclopedia.


    • Mitchell, W.O. (1914-1998)
      Entry in The Canadian Encyclopedia.


    • Montgomery, Lucy Maude
      The Canadian Encyclopedia entry.


    • Montgomery, Lucy MaudeFrench
      Review of a biography of Montgomery by Harry Bruce.


    • Moodie, Susanna
      A comprehensive site with biographies, a list of works, diaries and pictures of Susanna Moodie and her sister, Catherine Parr Trail.


    • Munro, Alice
      Biocritical essay from the University of Calgary Archives.


    • Munro, Alice
      New York Times featured author site.


    • Northrop Frye Literary Festival
      The Festival honours Northrop Frye, one of the 20th century's leading intellectuals, literary critics and educators. It also promotes Canada's bilingual literary heritage by bringing together French and English authors.


    • Ondaatje, Michael
      A brief biography, bibliography and list of his works.


    • Ondaatje, Michael
      Entry from The Canadian Encyclopedia.


    • Richler, Mordecai
      Profile, books and awards from the National Library of Canada.


    • Roy, Gabrielle - home page: National Library of Canada
      Links to biography of, bibliography, articles about and awards won by this Manitoba-born author who chose Québec as her adult home.


    • Tremblay, Michel
      Biography of French-Canadian playwright and author Michel Tremblay.



    Entrepreneurs and Industrialists


    Environmentalists

    • Grey Owl
      (1888-1938) Brief biography, bibliography and links of this conservationist.


    • Suzuki, David
      A biography.



    Explorers

    • Bernier, Joseph Elzéar
      Joseph Bernier: The Arctic Islands for Canada - a description of his voyages.


    • Cabot, John
      John Cabot: The English King's Italian Navigator - an outline of his voyages.


    • Champlain, Samuel de
      Site chronicling the travels of Samuel de Champlain.


    • Davis, John
      John Davis: The Master Navigator. - a description of his voyages.


    • Eric the Red
      The Norse in "Vinland"


    • Franklin, Sir John
      An annotated bibliography.


    • Frobisher, Martin
      The Pirate Explorer. Biography of arctic explorer Martin Frobisher.


    • Frobisher, Martin
      His accomplishments, interesting facts and a map of his route from Canadian Arctic Profiles.


    • Hearne, Samuel
      Samuel Hearne considered to be one of the most significant figures in the development of Hudson's Bay Company but is best known for his overland explorations in what is now the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.


    • Hudson, Henry
      (1609-1611) His accomplishments, some interesting facts and a map of his route.


    • Jacques Cartier
      Cartier was assigned the mission of "undertaking the voyage of this kingdom to the New Lands to discover certain islands and countries where there are said to be great quantities of gold and other riches".


    • Mackenzie, Alexander
      Revue of Barry Gough’s biography of explorer Alexander Mackenzie.


    • MacKenzie, Sir Alexander
      The first white person north of Mexico to reach the Pacific by crossing overland. Links and bibliography.


    • Radisson and Des Groseilliers
      This site has been written so students ages 9 and up can use it easily.


    • René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle
      A history of the explorer who discovered the mouth of the great Mississippi.


    • Slocum, Joshua
      Site dedicated to the first man to circumnavigate the globe.


    • Slocum, Joshua
      (1844 - 1909) The first person to have sailed single handed around the world.


    • Thompson, David
      Two hundred years ago he, mapped Canada's unknown interior, charting a fifth of the continent, (over two million square kilometers).


    • Thompson, David
      Biography of explorer and geographer David Thompson.


    • Tyrrell, Joseph Burr
      The Canadian Encyclopedia entry.



    Heroes


    Humanitarians

    • Bethune, Dr. Norman
      Known widely as an innovative thoracic surgeon, a vigorous advocate of democratic medical services, and an international humanitarian.


    • D'Youville, Marie-Maguerite
      Biography of the founder of the Sisters of Charity of the Hôpital Général of Montréal.


    • Douglas, Tommy
      Canada's 'father of Medicare'


    • Humphrey, John Peters
      The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was drafted by Canadian.


    • Humphrey, John Peters
      A look at the career of John Humphrey, the first Director of the Human Rights Division in the United Nations Secretariat.


    • May, Wilfred Reid
      Information about pilot Wilfred Reid May.



    Indigenous People


    Inventors

    • Bombardier, Armand
      From the Canada Science and Technology Museum.


    • Fessenden, Reginald
      Life Before Talk Radio


    • Fleming, Sir Sandford
      A virtual exhibit of Exporail, the Canadian Railway Museum.


    • Fleming, Sandford
      Brief biography of the inventor of standard time


    • Fleming, Sir Sandford
      The inventor of standard time.


    • Franks, Dr. Wilbur
      Inventor of the first anti-gravity suit to be used in flight.


    • Franks, Dr. Wilbur
      Canadian inventor of the first anti-gravity suit.


    • Gesner, Dr. Abraham
      Inventor of kerosene oil, founder of modern petroleum industry, and saver of whales.


    • Gisborne, Frederick Newton
      From the Canadian Encyclopedia.


    • Haney, Chris and Abbott, Scott
      Profile of Chris Haney and Scott Abbott the developers of Trivial Pursuit.


    • Hillier, James
      A brief article on the man who invented the world's first practical electron microscope.


    • Hopps, John
      Inventor of the heart pacemaker.


    • McLaughlin, John
      History of Canada Dry Ginger ale and John McLaughlin, the Canadian chemist who developed carbonation.


    • Naismith, James
      The Canadian Encyclopedia entry about the inventor of basketball. Dr. James A. Naismith, from Almonte, Ontario, was a physical director at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts. He invented basketball as a game that would relieve the boredom associated with traditional gymnastics. Originally, half-bushel peach baskets were nailed to the wall of the gymnasium, but spectators interfered with the play so a version of the current backboard was designed.


    • Urry, Lewis
      Urry changed the world by inventing the first long lasting battery.


    • Woodward and Evans
      The story of the two Canadians who sold their patent to Thomas Edison.


    • Woodward and Evans
      Information on Woodward and Evans’ invention of the filament lightbulb.



    Medical Pioneers


    Military Heroes


    Musicians


    Nation Builders


    Nobel Laureates


    Others

    • Boyd, Edwin Alonzo
      He was the leader of a gang of bank robbers who murdered a policeman. An article in The Canadian Encyclopedia.


    • Cary, Mary Shadd
      The first black woman in North America to edit a weekly paper.


    • Dick, Evelyn
      Article about the television movie, Torso, which is based on the Evelyn Dick murder case.


    • Dick, Evelyn
      The Torso murder case is one of the most sensational and talked about murder cases in Canada 's history.


    • Ernest Thompson Seton: His Life and Legacies
      Biography, chronology, awards and links.


    • Gouzenko, Igor
      The Cold War started when this clerk in the Russian embassy defected, bringing evidence of Soviet spy rings in Canada and setting off a major post-war crisis.


    • Jacobs, Jane
      Jane Jacobs is revered as North America's great expert on cities and the way they work.


    • Klein, George
      Biography of "the most productive engineer in Canada in the 20th century", George Klein.


    • Martin, Clara Brett
      This outlines her efforts to become Canada`s first female lawyer.


    • Murphy, Emily
      Biography of suffragette and activist Emily Murphy.


    • National Speaker's Bureau
      A commercial site but an easy way to review the many accomplishments of living Canadians.


    • Swann, Anna
      Life story of a famous Canadian giantess.


    • The Great Names of the French Canadian Community
      The Canadian French speaking world and some of the people who have contributed to its greatness.


    • Walters, Angus
      An article about the captain of the famous fishing schooner, the Bluenose.



    Poets


    Politicians and Prime Ministers


    Scientists