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Omar ('Sagebrush Sam') Blondahl. Folksinger, guitarist, born Wynyard, east of Saskatoon, of Icelandic parents, 6 Feb 1923, died St. John, NL, 11 Dec 1993. He studied piano and violin in his youth, and voice later in Winnipeg.

From 1927 to 1930 he lived on Île d'Orléans, Qué, painting the life of the Québec habitants with fresh insight. Having established a studio in Montréal in 1930, he survived by teaching and taking commercial art work.

John Henry Patrick Avison, CM, conductor, pianist (born 25 April 1914 in Vancouver, BC; died 30 November 1983 in Vancouver).

André Brochu, author, literary critic (Saint-Eustache, Qc 1942). André Brochu, a Professor of French literature at the Université de Montréal since 1963, discovered his literary vocation very early on.

Pierre-Stanislas Bédard, newspaperman, judge, politician, Patriote (born 13 September 1762 in Charlesbourg, New France; died 26 April 1829 in Trois-Rivières, Lower Canada).

John Hugh MacLennan, novelist, essayist, professor (b at Glace Bay, NS 20 Mar 1907; d at Montréal 7 Nov 1990). Hugh MacLennan is best known as the first major English-speaking writer to attempt a portrayal of Canada's national character.

Michel Beaulieu, writer, literary critic and translator (b at Montréal 31 Oct 1941; d there 10 July 1985). He studied at Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf then at the arts faculty of Université de Montréal.

As an artist - working in oil, watercolour, pencil, ink and print media - he executed both abstracts and realistic works. Brooker became the first Canadian artist to exhibit abstracts in 1927; Sounds Assembling (1928) and Alleluiah (1929) are early important paintings.

Francis Dhomont. Composer, teacher, b Paris 2 Nov 1926. He studied in Paris with Ginette Waldmeier, Charles Koechlin and Nadia Boulanger. From 1944 to 1963, he composed for instruments and for voice, attempting to reconcile modality and atonality.

Philippe-Joseph Aubert de Gaspé, novelist (b at Québec City 30 Oct 1786; d there 29 Jan 1871).

St. Clair Balfour, OC, DSC, publisher (born 30 April 1910 in Hamilton, ON; died 9 May 2002 in Toronto, ON).

(Marie Thérèse Rolande) Nicole Lorange. Soprano, b Montreal 28 Nov 1942; M MUS (Montreal) 1965. She began her studies privately with Roger Filiatrault, continuing at the École Vincent-d'Indy with Pierrette Alarie, Louise André, Bernard Diamant, Filiatrault, and Roy Royal.

Louis Applebaum, composer, conductor, administrator (b at Toronto 3 Apr 1918; d there 20 Apr 2000). After studies at the Toronto Conservatory of Music and University of Toronto with Boris Berlin, Healey WILLAN and Sir Ernest MACMILLAN, Applebaum went to New York to study composition.

Laurence Lemieux, dancer, teacher, choreographer, co-artistic director born at Quebec City 30 Sept 1964). Laurence Lemieux trained as a gymnast before dancing for renowned Canadian choreographers such as Margie GILLIS, James KUDELKA, and Jean-Pierre PERREAULT.

Kate Alton, dancer, choreographer, artistic director (born at Montréal, 25 Dec 1968). Kate Alton's intensive training began at age 9, when she moved to Toronto to attend the NATIONAL BALLET SCHOOL OF CANADA.

Tjot George (b Coster). Singer, teacher, b Holland 1920, d Kingston, Ont? 1991. She trained as a soprano at the Amsterdam Conservatory, and married composer Graham George. In Canada she created the title role in George's opera Evangelinein 1948, and she was a voice instructor at Queen's University.

Henry Alline, evangelist, hymnist, theologian (b at Newport, Rhode I 14 June 1748; d at N Hampton, NH 2 Feb 1784). An itinerant evangelical preacher in the Maritimes, Alline wrote hymns, religious tracts and a Life and Journal.

Claude Jutra (born Jutras), director, writer, actor, editor, cinematographer (born 11 March 1930 in Montréal, QC; died 5 November 1986 in Montréal).

Ka Nin (Francis) Chan. Composer, teacher, b Hong Kong 3 Dec 1949, naturalized Canadian 1971; BA SC (University of British Columbia) 1974, B MUS (University of British Columbia) 1976, M MUS (Indiana) 1978, D MUS (Indiana) 1983.

After unsuccessful attempts at practising law and founding Liberal newspapers, Fréchette immigrated to Chicago, where he remained for 5 years (1866-71) working for the Illinois Central Railway.