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When he applied his hand to dramatic writing, critical acclaim quickly followed. His first works to be professionally produced were A Place Like Pamela (1991) for Walking Shadow Theatre, and To Cry Is Not So (1991) for Theatre Smith-Gilmour.

Kaufmann, Walter. Conductor, comparative musicologist, composer, teacher, b Carlsbad, Bohemia (now Karlovy-Vary, Czechoslovakia), 1 Apr 1907, d Bloomington, Ind, 9 Sept 1984; honorary D MUS (Spokane) 1956, naturalized US 1960.

Linda Lee Thomas. Pianist, artistic director, b Lethbridge, Alta, 5 Feb 1947; ARCT piano 1963, ARCT voice 1965, B MUS (Montana) 1968, M MUS (Montana) 1969.

Josiah Henson, spiritual leader, author, founder of the Black community settlement at Dawn, Canada West (born 15 June 1789 in Charles County, Maryland; died 5 May 1883 in Dresden, ON). Born enslaved, Henson escaped to Upper Canada in 1830.

From the early 1970s to the mid-1980s Eastwood appeared in stage productions of works by Michel TREMBLAY, Tom Stoppard, and Neil Simon, by such companies as Theatre in the Dell, Toronto Arts Productions, Centrestage Company, and Toronto Truck Theatre.

Antonio Barichievich, né Anton Baričević, “the Great Antonio,” Québec strongman, professional wrestler and actor (born 10 or 25 October 1925 in Zagreb, Yugoslavia; died 7 September 2003 in Montréal, QC).

Jacob Scheier, poet, essayist, journalist, teacher (born 2 February 1980 in Toronto, ON).

Alexandre Da Costa. Violinist, born Montreal 30 Oct 1979; MA and premier prix violin (Conservatoire de Musique du Québec à Montréal [CMM]) 1998, BA piano performance (Montréal) 1998, Concert Diploma Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia (Madrid) 2001, post graduate diploma Universitat fur Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien (Vienna) 2004.

The Professional Native Indian Artists Inc. (PNIAI) was one of the first independently organized, self-managed Indigenous artists’ collectives and cultural advocacy groups in Canada. It was established in the early 1970s in Winnipeg, Manitoba. PNIAI consisted of seven independent Indigenous painters, Jackson Beardy, Eddy Cobiness, Alex Janvier, Norval Morrisseau, Daphne Odjig, Carl Ray and Joseph Sanchez.

Though diverse in their painting styles and cultural backgrounds, the founders of PNIAI were united in their determination to advocate for inclusion, recognition, and equal access to art funding. PNIAI has had a formative and enduring influence on the development of contemporary Indigenous art practice, its critical acceptance and public appreciation. PNIAI initiated an era of increasing activism and empowerment for artists and cultural workers of Indigenous ancestry across the country. PNIAI’s efforts paved the way for later arts organizations such as the Society of Canadian Artists of Native Ancestry and the Aboriginal Curatorial Collective. It also helped broaden national awareness of contemporary Indigenous art in Canada.

John Reeves, composer, broadcaster, author (born 1 December 1926 in Merritt, BC, died 3 November 2022 in Clarksburg, ON). BA classics (Cambridge) 1948. Educated in England, he began conducting Gregorian chant and renaissance polyphony as a teenager and won a choral scholarship to St John's College, Cambridge. Returning to Canada after graduation he taught classics at the University of British Columbia, then joined CBC Radio as a music producer in 1952, branching out later into productions of dramas, documentaries, and religious programs. He retired from the CBC staff in 1987, but continued to produce programs on a freelance basis.

Robert Charles Davidson, CM (also called Guud San Glans, meaning “Eagle of the Dawn" in the Haida language), artist (born on 4 November 1946 in Hydaburg, Alaska). Of Haida and Tlingit descent, Davidson is a highly respected painter, master carver, and printmaker. In his long artistic career, he has expanded the boundaries of Northwest Coast image and design in increasingly complex and unconventional serigraphs, jewellery and sculpture. His work has been displayed across Canada, including at the National Gallery of Canada, the Vancouver Art Gallery, and the Canadian Museum of History, as well as internationally. Davidson was appointed an Officer to the Order of Canada in 1996 and was promoted to Member in 2022. (See also Northwest Coast Indigenous Art in Canada.)

Guy Laliberté, OC, OQ, street performer, businessman (born 2 September 1959 in St-Bruno, QC). Laliberté is the fire-breathing accordionist and stilt-walking founder of Cirque du Soleil. He transformed a small band of Québec buskers and street musicians into a performing organization of international repute. Laliberté is also the founder of the One Drop Foundation and in September 2009, he became the first Canadian space tourist.

Before European settlement in Canada, Indigenous peoples spoke a wide variety of languages. As a means of assimilating Indigenous peoples, colonial policies like the Indian Act and residential schools forbade the speaking of Indigenous languages. These restrictions have led to the ongoing endangerment of Indigenous languages in Canada. Indigenous communities and various educational institutions have taken measures to prevent more language loss and to preserve Indigenous languages.

Eldon Davis Rathburn, CM, composer, pianist, organist, teacher (born 21 April 1916 in Queenstown, NB; died 30 August 2008 in Ottawa, ON). Known as the “dean of Canadian film composers,” Eldon Rathburn worked as a composer at the National Film Board (NFB) from 1944 to 1976. He composed over 300 film scores throughout his career, including for canonical NFB shorts (City of Gold, Universe), key English-language features (Nobody Waved Good-bye, Who Has Seen the Wind) and several IMAX films. He also taught film score composition at the University of Ottawa (1972–76). A member of the Canadian League of Composers and an associate of the Canadian Music Centre, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada and received the Arts and Heritage Award from the City of Ottawa.

John MacLachlan Gray (born John Howard Gray), OC, playwright, composer, writer, actor, pianist, broadcaster (born 26 September 1946 in Ottawa, ON).

From 1944 to 1945, Jewison served with the Royal Canadian Navy overseas. After World War II, he attended Victoria College at the University of Toronto, where he wrote and directed the first All-Varsity Revue.

Keith (Warren) Bissell. Composer, educator, conductor, b Meaford, near Owen Sound, Ont, 12 Feb 1912, d Newmarket, near Toronto, 9 May 1992; B MUS (Toronto) 1942. While teaching 1934-48 in Toronto schools he studied composition at the University of Toronto with Leo Smith.

Teresa (b Anastasia) Stratas (b Stratakis). Soprano, b Toronto 26 May 1938; Artist Diploma (Toronto) 1959, honorary LL D (McMaster) 1986, honorary LL D (Toronto) 1994, honorary LL D (Eastman) 1998, honorary D LITT (York) 2000.