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​Freda Ahenakew, OC, Cree scholar, author (born 11 February 1932 on Ahtahkakoop First Nation, SK; died 8 April 2011 at Muskeg Lake First Nation, SK). Ahenakew is recognized as a leader in the acknowledgment and revitalization of the Cree language in Canada. In her life, Ahenakew helped to preserve the oral traditions of the Cree people and share Cree traditions and stories with Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples alike. (See also Indigenous Language Revitalization in Canada.)

Marie-Josée Lord, soprano (born 18 January 1972 in Léogane, Haiti).

Donald Owen, director, producer, editor, writer (born 19 September 1931 in Toronto, ON; died 21 February 2016 in Toronto). Don Owen was a pioneering filmmaker who made two of the most significant English Canadian films of the 1960s. His first feature, the largely improvised Nobody Waved Good-bye (1964), was an important milestone in the development of narrative filmmaking in Canada, and his third, The Ernie Game (1967), won Canadian Film Awards for best feature film and direction. Owen’s films typically explore the role of artists and outcasts in society, and often blend dramatic, documentary and improvisational elements.

Glenn Herbert Gould (born Gold), pianist, broadcaster, writer, composer, conductor, organist (born 25 September 1932 in Toronto, ON; died 4 October 1982 in Toronto, ON).

Natalie Olga Kuzmich (née Belz), educator, producer, adjudicator (born 22 May 1932 in Toronto, ON; died 7 January 2023 in Toronto). B MUS music education (Toronto) 1954, MA musicology (Toronto) 1968.

Sir Cecil Edward Denny, 6th baronet of Tralee Castle, police officer, Indian agent, author (b in Hampshire, Eng 14 Dec 1850; d at Edmonton 24 Aug 1928). Denny is best known as the author of two colourful accounts of life with the North-West Mounted Police - The Riders of the Plains: A Reminiscence of the Early and Exciting Days in the North West (1905) and The Law Marches West (1939).

Peter Erasmus, interpreter (b at Red River Colony [Man] 27 June 1833; d at Whitefish Lk, Alta 28 May 1931). Of Danish-Cree parentage, he studied to become an Anglican clergyman, but was drawn to the free life farther west.

Portia May White, contralto, teacher (born 24 June 1911 in Truro, NS; died 13 February 1968 in Toronto, ON). Portia White was the first Black Canadian concert singer to win international acclaim. She was considered one of the best classical singers of the 20th century. Her voice was described by one critic as “a gift from heaven.” She was often compared to the celebrated African American contralto Marian Anderson. The Nova Scotia Talent Trust was established in 1944 specifically to enable White to concentrate on her professional career. She was named a “person of national historic significance” by the Government of Canada in 1995.

Alexander Begg, writer, historian (b at Québec City 19 July 1839; d at Victoria 6 Sept 1897).

Ginette Noiseux, set and costume designer, theatre artistic director and general manager (born 23 January 1958 in Montreal, QC). Ginette Noiseux has designed costumes for some 60 productions by such theatre companies as Espace Go, Théâtre de Quatre Sous, Théâtre Expérimental de Montréal, the National Arts Centre, Opéra de Montréal and Théâtre de nouveau monde. She is a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres de France, a Compagne of the Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec, and a Member of the Order of Canada.

James Harley Marsh, CM, writer, editor (born 10 September 1943 in Toronto, ON). Marsh was the founding editor-in-chief of The Canadian Encyclopedia. He oversaw the creation of the Encyclopedia’s French edition, L’Encyclopédie du Canada, and The Junior Encyclopedia of Canada (see Encyclopedia). He also became editor-in-chief of the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada (EMC) and managed the online transition of both the EMC and The Canadian Encyclopedia under the direction of the Historica Foundation (now Historica Canada). Marsh is the recipient of numerous awards and honours.