Melissa Benoist, American actress, of partial French descent through paternal great-grandfather. Same result champions. Great achievements in Canadian sports are recognized by Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. In the 2020 Olympics, Sinclair helped her team win the gold medal. She ran the anchor leg for Jane Bell, Ethel Smith and Myrtle Cook as Canada won gold in the inaugural 4x100-metre relay. Oendrila De He then set or equalled world records in the 60-yard indoor dash, the 100-yard dash, the 100 m sprint and the 440-yard relay. He transformed from a moderate politician to a radical, openly attacking institutions such as the Legislative Council, whose non-elected members controlled the country. Explore a timeline of Montreals 375-year history! Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Her bronze in the 5,000 metres in Vancouver was epic. Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet. Longo's professional racing career started in 1979. In 2019, she already has two top-10 finishes under her belt and in 2018 she became the first Canadian woman to win the Canadian Women's Open in 45 years. Alwyn Morris (1957-) Canoe-Kayak Sprint While he started his training in ice hockey at age 5, he later switched to figure skating. Orr won eight consecutive Norris Trophies as the NHLs best defenseman and three consecutive Hart Trophies as the leagues MVP. Brooke Henderson. Throughout the years, hundreds of Canadian athletes have made their mark on the world of sport and represented Canada at the highest level. He was a goal scorer, a puck-handler, a scrapper, a bruiser, a leader, a right-hand man. Similarly to Andre De Grasse, Penny Oleksiak used the 2016 Summer Olympics as a means to catapult herself to the forefront of her sport. As an athlete, she won 21 medals at five Paralympic Games from 1992 to 2008, including 14 gold medals, and broke 26 world records along the way. The world-famous Andr the Giant died of congestive heart failure in Paris in 1993, after attending his fathers funeral. Kurt Browning. We kicked off our series of Canada 150 articles last week with Canadas 15 best ski resorts. Four years later, she made the hurdles final once again and helped the 4x100 relay team to sixth-place finish. Primarily a speed skater, Hughes also won two bronze medals in cycling at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. She's got her eyes on a fourth Games in Tokyo this summer. Army Howard Army Howard competes in the 4th round of the 100m at the Inter-Allied Games at the Pershing Stadium in Paris in July 1919. Fanny "Bobbie" Rosenfeld was the premiere sprinter of the Games. Now such a list will undoubtedly bring about some strong opinions (rightfully so) so lets just get a few things out of the way first. Like Terry Fox, Rick Hansen is often honoured for his courage and strength against adversity, but hes also celebrated as a truly gifted athlete. Shes also Canadas most decorated female athlete, with 24 medals in speed skating. Her biography has been translated into 23 different languages on wikipedia. Hayley Wickenheiser Hometown: Shaunavon, Saskatchewan. The former Canadian senator is better known as the best alpine skier of her day. Jean Collas (3 July 1874 in Paris - 30 December 1928 in Asnires-sur-Seine, France) was a French rugby union player and tug of war competitor, who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics. He continues to inspire countless Canadians after all these years. From 1915 to 1940, the Edmonton Grads won 502 games and lost only 20, beating the world's best teams from the United States and Europe. 3 Badminton. She then represented Great Britain at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympic Games, winning a silver medal in both the events. There are a number of Canadians doing good things on the PGA Tour, but that wasnt always the case. His career in athletics started during World War I, winning the national cross-country championships of the French military. List features athletes like Kaillie Humphries, Lynn Kanuka-Williams. Adriana John By the 1960s, his idea of a bicultural Canada had made its way to Parliament, where it was promoted by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Together, they left trails of smoke on tracks from Vancouver to Sochi and just about everywhere around the globe. Cindy Klassen Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba. Post-retirement, she worked as a sports columnist and coach. Victor Davis, Guelph Andre De Grasse, Scarborough / Markham Lori Dupuis, Cornwall Dave Edge (born 1954), British-Canadian Olympic long-distance runner Terry Farnsworth (born 1942), Olympic judoka Mark Fawcett, Nelson, British Columbia Shaul Gordon (born 1994), Canadian-Israeli Olympic sabre fencer Nancy Greene Widely regarded as Canada's top female athlete of the 20th century, Greene was a trailblazer for female Canadian athletes. In 2022, Andre De Grasse won a gold medal at the World Championships. French is also the first official language spoken by 22 per cent of the Canadian population. MacLennan's second gold was even more remarkable given her battle back from post-concussion syndrome in the lead-up to the Games. Full statement, Copyright 2023Canadas History Society | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions, Website designed and developed by ecentricarts.com, Historical Thinking Community of Practice. Ren Lacoste invented this signature polo shirt, but thats not all. FouKi See on Instagram He campaigned for greater independence for Lower Canada, which was dominated by an influential British minority. Angela Frances Chalmers, world-class distance runner from Birdtail Sioux First Nation (born 6 September 1963 in Brandon, MB).Chalmers is one of the most accomplished Indigenous athletes in Canada. Ben Johnson is a Canadian retired sprinter who was adjudged the world's fastest man during the 198788 season after he broke the 60m and 100m indoor world records. His career with the Phoenix Suns was outstanding and saw him awarded as NBAs MVP twice. 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 We reserve the right to close comments at any time. He delivered many speeches calling for Canadas complete independence, going so far as to oppose the Dominions involvement in the First World War. Joseph Guillemot could be considered an anomaly in sports history. In 2001, he became part of NBAs San Antonio Spurs team as a pointguard and went on to become a 4-time NBA champion. updated February 20, 2022, 5:07 am, by In 1979, he wasinductedintothe National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Shes considered one of the best female soccer players of all time and has 296 appearances and 186 goals for Canada. Not only that, his heart was on the right side of his chest. Birthplace: Bruges, Belgium; raised in France. Henri Bourassa, born in 1868 in Montral, had a significant impact on Canadian politics through his nationalist position, which still resonates today. This week its the top 15 athletes in Canadas decorated sports history. Canadas national womens soccer team is currently ranked in the top ten, thanks in part to the skills of captain Christine Sinclair. The poorly organized revolt was quickly suppressed, and Papineau went into exile. Only 22 years old, it looks like De Grasse will be a major player in international sprinting in the future. His professional athletics career began at the age of 16, winning a Ligue 1 title, Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year, and the Golden Boy award. Jessica Biel (born 1982), American actress with distant French roots. 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. 6 Cross-country skiing. Milos Raonic, a tennis player, was born in the former Yugoslavia, but moved with his family to Canada when he was 3 years old. Donovan Bailey Hometown: Manchester, Jamaica (immigrated to Oakville, Ontario). He is currently ranked 4th in the world, though he was ranked 3rd for a time in 2016. Zidane is a Muslim of Algerian-French descent. Top 10 Canadian Athletes Right Now Sidney Crosby - Hockey Penny Oleksiak - Swimming Andre De Grasse - Track and field Milos Raonic - Tennis Damian Warner Derek Drouin - High jumper Brooke Henderson - Golf Christine Sinclair - Soccer Connor McDavid - Hockey Andrew Wiggins - Basketball Eugenie Bouchard - Tennis What comes to mind when you think of Canada and sports? A member of the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and Companion of the Order of Canada, she was appointed to the Senate in March 2016. 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. What else needs to be said? Olympic gold medalist Canadian athlete Fanny Bobbie Rosenfeld earned the nickname Bobbie for the bob cut she sported. 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). Drouin also won gold at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, and won 5 NCAA titles while competing for the Indiana Hoosiers. 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. When it comes to sports in which Canadians are underrepresented, being the first goes a long way. Candice Quigley Moyse chose to push for next-generation pilot, Alyssa Rissling. Given the overwhelming reasons to be proud of our nations athletic output, what better time to look at the all time great athletes Canada hasgiven the sports world. 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. Most people (athletes included) tend to like either the summer or the winter. He won the Olympic silver medal in the 10,000-meter long distance race. She's the only female Paralympian to win the Lou Marsh Award as the top athlete in Canada (2008). He has also earned the Best Young Player and French Player of the Year awards for his stellar performances. The gifted playmaker returned to Phoenix in 2004 where he won back to back NBA MVP Awards. 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. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. Donovan Bailey is a retired Jamaican-Canadian sprinter. Between Shirley and Sharon, they won 48 Canadian championships. Probably Canadas most famous Paralympic athlete, hes won three golds, two silvers and one bronze between 1980 and 1984. In the early 2000s, he spent the majority of his time in the top ten rankings and brought a major golf title to Canada for the first time ever when he won the Masters in 2003. She won the first-ever World Cup skiing race in 1967 before winning gold at the 1968 winter Olympic giant slalom event. She became a member of the Socit Notre-Dame de Montral and obtained funding from benefactor Anglique Bullion to establish a hospital on the island of Montral. Wiggins entered the NBA in 2014 after being chosen first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Entry Draft. The first Canadian-born athlete to hold an official world track record, three-time Olympian Harry Jerome broke the Canadian record in the 220-yard dash when he was only 18 years old. Hi, Im Christine a full-time traveler and career woman. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin 22/35 Rachel McAdams This Mean Girl was born in London, Ontario. ski industry. In 2011, Velma Springstead was posthumously elected as a member of the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame. 9 Freestyle skiing. 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. Donnie Wahlberg. Canada's national men's soccer team leaves much to be desired and are currently ranked 78th in the world. . Greene is now a large figure in the B.C. She intends to go for gold again with the Stars and Stripes at Beijing 2022. With millions of followers, he is definitely one of France most famous athletes on social media. Candice Quigley A 4-time Olympian and an Olympic gold medalist, retired Canadian track and field athlete Bruny Surin has been a master of the 4100m relay. With an HPI of . Throughout his career in both politics and journalism, he fought for the protection of minorities namely Canadians in the Commonwealth and French-Canadians outside Qubec. She's regarded as the greatest women's hockey player of all-time, but at one point, she traded in that hockey stick, helmet & shoulder pads for a bat, ball & glove. by He moved to Montral at the age of ten and entered the College de Montral. Football superstar Kylian Mbapp is a forward for the France national team and Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain. She was also part of the team that won bronze medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. Conacher succeeded in a number of sports including football, hockey, baseball, lacrosse, boxing and wrestling. A self-proclaimed Francophile, I love everything France. There are parks and lakes and mountain peaks and streets and buildings named after her. He retired in 2019, ending his basketball career as the ninth leading post-season scorer in NBA history. 2016 may have been an even better year for De Grasse. 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. Sidney Crosby no doubt deserves this ranking, given he has been at the top of his sport for the last decade, achieving great success both professionally with the NHLs Pittsburgh Penguins, and internationally as a member of Team Canada. But not all of us are George Chuvalo. As a cyclist, Hughes competed at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta where she raced to bronze in both the road race and time trial. Percy Williams is widely regarded as the greatest Canadian Olympic athlete of all time. He once held the world record for the 100 meters and is considered the greatest Canadian sprinter of all time. In 1910 he founded the newspaper Le Devoir to share his perspective. updated July 10, 2021, 1:15 am, by He was also the creator of the first steel tennis racket and the tennis ball machine. In the early 2000s, Mike Weir was the guy from Canada and he was one of the best players on tour. Louis-Joseph Papineau PATRIOTE LEADER AND POLITICIAN 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. But you could argue Nancy Greene's greatest contribution was inspirational. Competing in his first Olympics, he won a silver medal in the 200m, and bronze medals in the 100m and 4 x 100m relay. Without a doubt, Canadas greatest basketball player. There are a few incredible young athletes in Canada that have a good chance of making it onto this list by the time their careers are done. Ethel Smith (1907 - 1979). Some that come to mind are Hockey Hall of Famer Angela James, the late freestyle skiing legend Sarah Burke, superb athlete and sports administrator Abby Hoffman and others. Sufia Banu For instance, though there have been several notable Canadian baseball players, Fergie Jenkins was the first Canadian to win the Cy Young Award. Weve made a list of some of the most influential, and while its impossible to rank the best of the best, were sure youll agree that each of the athletes on this list has had a big impact on sports in Canada. Noted for his top speed, he became the first Canadian to legally break the 10-second barrier in the 100 meters. Rick Hansen Like Terry Fox, Rick Hansen is often honoured for his courage and strength against adversity, but he's also celebrated as a truly gifted athlete. Get exclusive content you wont find in our magazines. Canada does have a strong history of producing great hockey players, skiers, skaters, and athletes who compete in other winter sports. While there are 15 deserving athletes on this list, there are a number of incredible Canadian athletes that didnt make the cut, which wasnt an easy decision. Andr the Giant also became a Hollywood actor, debuting as Sasquatch (Bigfoot) in 1976 in a two-part episode aired on the TV series The Six Million Dollar Man. Ren Lacoste had fared well in his athletics career as well. Crosby also won two Olympic gold medals with Canada, including the 2010 final, where he scored a famous golden goal in the finals. She has been tireless in advocating for fitness and an active lifestyle and at 76 years old, she's still carving turns. He is also a former Commonwealth Champion and a 2-time World Champion. She represented Canada at the 2008 Paralympic Games, where she won a bronze medal. Guillemot held world records in 2,000 meters and 3,000 meters. Take a trip to Montreal with this audiowalk to learn about the citys history. Later, she likely worked as a nurse at a hospital in her hometown. When you have those kinds of stats, you can find yourself on a Google Doodle or in a Heritage Minute. She won bronze at the 2002 Salt Lake City games, a gold and silver in the 2006 Turin games and another bronze on home soil at the 2010 Vancouver games. If you dont already know these athletes, you should. Here we profile the ultimate fighter for clean sport and a woman who changes the conversation around ability. He is also the program assistant of Canadas History Society. Whether it was donating to Right to Play or breaking down the stigma around mental illness in Bell's "Let's Talk" campaign, she's a champion through and through. He remains the only defenseman to lead the league in scoring, which he did twice, although Brent Burns is trying his best to join Orr in that regard this season. Indigenous Canadian actor Jay Silverheels gained international popularity for playing Tonto, the Native American companion of the protagonist in the American western TV series The Lone Ranger. Gretzky played twenty seasons in the NHL between 1979 and 1999, and despite being retired for more than twenty years, he still holds just about every offensive record there is. He is the first Jamaican-born athlete to win a medal at the Winter Olympics. Christian via wrestlingrumors.net Christian was pigeonholed for the longest time as a "tag team specialist" and for the most part he was exactly that early on in his career. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. By the Sapporo Olympics of 1972, seven of Canada's nine nordic skiers were from the Mackenzie Delta. 30 Famous Francophones Updated by Celine Cooper To celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2015, The Canadian Encyclopedia created 30 lists of 30 things that make us proud to be Canadian, from famous people and historic events, to iconic foods and influential artists. He was the first Canadian, and first Cubs pitcher, to win a Cy Young Award as the leagues best pitcher and accumulated over 3,000 strikeouts in his long career. With an HPI of . Hometown: Manchester, Jamaica (immigrated to Oakville, Ontario), Hometown: Johannesburg, South Africa (immigrated to Regina, Saskatchewan then Victoria, B.C. He was later dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World.. He is deemed one of the worlds greatest athletes. Gordie Howe Hometown: Floral, Saskatchewan. Desai Williams also worked as a coach and trained Olympic athletes like Phylicia George, Justyn Warner, and Tremaine Harris among others. Mike Weir was one of the first Canadians to achieve success at the highest level in golf. He bred and raced Standardbred horses as a hobby. Tom Longboat was an Onondaga athlete who specialized in distance running. Born in Montral in 1896, Casgrain was the daughter of businessman and politician Sir Rodolphe Forget and Lady Blanche MacDonald. She's a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, the IIHF Hall of Fame and is currently the Assistant Director of Player Development for the Toronto Maple Leafs. She is an Olympic gold-medalist and 13-time world champion who also competed in track bicycle racing events. She retired in January of this year with 168 goals and 211 assists to her name in just 276 career games. Her fierce stance against drug cheats earned her respect from athletes worldwide, but also the ire of the suits in the room. 1. At 26 years old, Raonic is in the prime of his career, so look for him to be a major player on the ATP tour in the future. Gordie Howe He was 16 when he began his martial arts training with the Canadian Army. 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. Lionel Conacher Hometown: Toronto, Ontario. In 1834, the Patriotes won a large majority in the Legislative Assembly and prepared a series of reforms, dubbed the Ninety-Two Resolutions, which would allow French Canadians to win power in Lower Canada through responsible government. His championship wins and titles are too many to name, but hes won the Indianapolis 500, and the Formula One World Championshiponly the third racer to have done so and the first Canadian to win the Indy 500 and F-1 championships. Robbed of that Olympic moment, she formed a powerful voice in the boardroom. You can help make our past relevant, engaging, empowering and accessible. She moved on to ski cross in Sochi 2014 and was predicted to be in the medal hunt at PyeongChang 2018 until she broke both legs in a World Cup event just before the Games. They're the most successful team in Canadian history, winning an astounding 95 per cent of their matches. After a spinal cord injury at 15, he became a paraplegic. Post-retirement, he has been working as a power skating coach. Samir Hussein 23/35 Michael Bubl Born in Burnaby, British Columbia, the crooner is one of Canada's most. Oleksiak is a freestyle and butterfly swimmer who won 4 medals (a record for a Canadian athlete at a single Summer Olympics) at the Rio Olympics: gold in the 100m freestyle, silver in the 100m butterfly, and bronze in both the 4 x 100m and 4 x 200m freestyle relays. He also won a gold medal at the 1930 British Empire Games in Hamilton. Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe are two among the most famous ice hockey players the country has seen. 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. ), if Nancy Greene pounced, there wasn't much her competition could do about it. The Great One holds almost every NHL record you can think of and helped Edmonton become the City of Champions in the late 1980s. Andre De Grasse is a Canadian track and field athlete best known for winning the gold medal in the men's 200 metres event at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. His illustrious career has seen him compete internationally for Jamaica, Canada, and Monaco. He returned to Canada after being granted amnesty in 1844. As the first female leader of a political party in Canada, Thrse Casgrain changed the political landscape forever. updated December 20, 2017, 7:59 pm, by He is best known for his performance in the 1984 Olympic Games, where he won two bronze medals. In 2004, he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. Nicknamed the Man of Bronze, Phil Edwards won five bronze medals for Canada at the Olympic Games between 1928 and 1936. However, in recent years a number of Canadians in various sports have made an impact at the highest levels. She retired after 2012 London Games after finishing fifth in the time trial. Armand Mouyal, French fencer (pe), national champion Claude Netter, French fencer (foil), Olympic champion Christian d'Oriola, French Olympic and World Champion, named "Fencer of the 20th Century" by the FIE, International Fencing Federation, in 2001. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. With that out of the way, lets take a look at the 12 greatest Canadian athletes of all time! Wayne Douglas Gretzky is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. She died in 1981, leaving a powerful legacy of championing the rights of women and the underprivileged. Similarly to Wiggins, Connor McDavid is a young superstar taking his sport by storm. After being elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada, Papineau became the leader of the Parti Canadien, which later became the Patriote party. Georges St Pierre may not be as well known as some of the other athletes on this list, but among combat sports fans, hes a legend. In 1970, then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau appointed Casgrain to the Canadian Senate. In the unpredictable world of bobsleigh, Humphries - the top driver in the world - was looking for every little edge to be the best.

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