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A prolific author, editor and translator, and concerned chiefly with the contemporary debate on religion and science, De Sola's own writings included studies on Jewish history, cosmography and medicine.

Sandra Birdsell (née Sandra Bartlette), CM, Mennonite-Métis, short-story writer, novelist (born 22 April 1942 in Hamiota, MB). Birdsell’s fiction often investigates the lives of small-town characters, especially women. She has written novels, plays, radio dramas and scripts for television and film. Appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2010, Birdsell has been nominated for the Governor General’s Literary Award for English Language Fiction three times, and for the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2001.

Theodore Frederic Molt, (b Johann Friedrich), music teacher, writer, pianist, organist (b at Gschwend, near Stuttgart, 13 Feb 1795; d at Burlington, Vermont, 16 Nov 1856).

'Dixie' (George William) Dean. Accordionist, teacher, composer, b London 25 Sep 1916, d Toronto 16 May 1987. Taken to Canada in 1923, Dixie Dean began his career in Toronto on radio (CFRB and CBC) and in dance bands during the 1930s.

Linda Rabin, teacher, choreographer and artistic director (b at Montréal 28 Sep 1946). She discovered dancing with Elsie Salomons, Séda Zaré and Birouté Nagys, later becoming a dance graduate of New York's Juilliard School of Music.

Laszlo Gati. Conductor, violinist, violist, b Timisoara, Rumania, 25 Sep 1925. He studied first in Rumania but moved in 1946 to Budapest, where he attended the Academy of Music and the National Cons and played in the Hungarian State Orchestra.

Henri K. (Kew) Jordan. Choir conductor, organist, manufacturer, b Seaforth, near Stratford, Ont, 30 Mar 1880, d Brantford, Ont, 27 Oct 1949; honorary D MUS (Toronto) 1938. He studied piano and organ at the Toronto College of Music under F.H.

In 1974 he moved to Toronto, where he joined Theatre Passe Muraille and appeared in several collective documentary productions, including The Farm Show (1972) and most notably 1837: The Farmers' Revolt (1973), in which he played principal roles.

Richard ('Dick') Armin. Cellist, b Winkler, Man, 13 Aug 1944 (Paul's twin); performance certificate (Indiana) 1963. He studied cello 1957-61 with Thaddeus Markevitch in Detroit, in 1961 with Luigi Silva in New York, and 1962-4 with János Starker at Indiana University.

(Bertram) Hayunga Carman. Pianist, teacher, b Morrisburg, near Cornwall, Ont, 22 Feb 1875, d Toronto 6 Jun 1965. His teachers were J.D.A.

Allan, N. (Norman) Fraser. Songwriter, pianist, fl Toronto 1911-40. Known to have been a pupil of W.O. Forsyth, Allan played piano for the Dumbells and, with his partner, the comedian Stanley Bennett, participated in some of that troupe's later productions.

(Alice) Catherine Allison. Educator, b Vankleek Hill, east of Ottawa, 1 Apr 1902? (family sources suggest 1898), d Ottawa 3 Apr 1986; honorary MA (St Francis Xavier) 1957, honorary LL D (Dalhousie) 1971.

One of the Regina Five, Art McKay was influenced in the 1960s by Barnett Newman at the Emma Lake Artists' Workshops and was included in Clement Greenberg's 1964 "Post-Painterly Abstraction" exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum.

Raymond Dessaints. Violinist, conductor, teacher, b Quebec City 21 Apr 1932; premier prix violin (CMQ) 1952. His main studies were with Calvin Sieb at the CMQ.

Constance Fisher. Stage director, soprano, b Hamilton, Ont, 3 Oct 1928; ARCT piano 1950, ARCT voice 1951.

Monique Leyrac, née Tremblay, singer, actress (b at Montréal 26 Feb 1928). Monique Leyrac's fortunate combination of musical and theatrical talents have enabled her to imbue her performances with emotional intensity.

Paul-Marie Lapointe, writer, journalist (b at St-Félicien, Qué 22 Sept 1929).

André Langevin, novelist, journalist (b at Montréal, Qué 11 July 1927; d at Cowansville, 21 February 2009). The author of 5 novels, Langevin lost both parents at an early age and spent 7 years in an orphanage, an experience that left an indelible mark on his fiction.

Laurier LaPierre, television personality, author, editor, academic (born at Lac-Mégantic, Qué 21 Nov 1929; died at Ottawa, 17 Dec 2012).

Tom Jackson describes music as "the heartbeat" of his early family life. He was given his first guitar at the age of 10. When he was 17, blessed with a fine bass baritone, he began playing the coffeehouse circuit.