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Create AccountJames Nathaniel Simpkins, cartoonist (born 26 November 1910 in Winnipeg, MB; died 1 February 2004 in Dundas, ON). Simpkins was the creator of "Jasper The Bear," a regular cartoon feature of Maclean's magazine for 24 years and the mascot of the national park community of the same name in Alberta.
Elizabeth Catherine Bagshaw, physician (born 18 October 1881 near Cannington, ON; died 5 January 1982 in Hamilton, ON). Bagshaw had a successful 70-year medical practice, specializing in family medicine and obstetrics (see Childbirth in Canada). She is perhaps best known for her work as the medical director of Canada’s first birth control clinic in Hamilton, Ontario (see History of Birth Control in Canada).
He was unwilling to settle long in any one company and instead began to develop his own choreographic ideas, which found full expression in the creation of the DESROSIERS DANCE THEATRE in 1980.
Paul Edward Haggis, writer, director, producer (born 10 Mar 1953 in London, Ontario). Within Canada, Paul Haggis may be best known as the creator of the popular TV series Due South, which earned him six Gemini Awards including two for Best Dramatic Series. Internationally, he is renowned for a number of film achievements. He made history in 2006 as the first screenwriter of back-to-back Best Picture Oscar winners — Million Dollar Baby (2004) and Crash (2005). He also won Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay Oscars for the latter and helped rejuvenate the James Bond franchise with his screenplays for Casino Royale (2006) and Quantum of Solace (2008). More recently, his reputation has been marred by four allegations of sexual assault: in January 2018, he began defending himself in a civil suit against those allegations.
John Eric Longden, jockey (born 14 Feb 1907 in Wakefield, England; died 14 February 2003 in Banning, California). Known as “the pumper” for his ability to ride a horse to its best possible performance, Johnny Longden enjoyed a distinguished career (1927–66) that many regard as one of the finest in Thoroughbred racing history. He retired at age 59 as the winningest jockey in the history of the sport, with 6,032 wins and a career winning percentage of 18.6. He is one of 12 jockeys to win the Triple Crown and the only person in history to both ride and train a Kentucky Derby winner. He is a member of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame & Museum, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame and the US National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame.
Brian Doyle, children's novelist (b at Ottawa 12 Aug 1935). After a journalism degree from Carleton University (1957), he worked briefly for the Toronto Telegram. Brian Doyle returned to Carleton for a BA in English and became a high-school teacher in Ottawa.
Vera Guilaroff. Pianist, composer, b London 26 Oct 1902, d Montreal 23 Oct 1976.
Wayne Gretzky has a long memory. The most prolific scorer in the history of hockey can recall the tiniest details of past games. His business life has been enhanced by his ability to remember names and faces, and he never forgets the kindness of friends.
Jean Désy, diplomat (b at Montréal 8 Jan 1893; d at Paris, France 19 Dec 1960). Educated at Laval and the Sorbonne, the highly intelligent Désy was called to the Québec Bar in 1915 and taught history and law at Université de Montréal, 1919-25.
Albert Edgar Hickman, businessman, politician (b at Grand Bank, Nfld 2 Aug 1875; d at St John's 9 Feb 1943). Newfoundland's seventeenth prime minister, he held that office for just 33 days from 10 May to 11 June 1924, the shortest administration in Newfoundland's history.
Steve Smith, actor, writer, producer, comic (b at Toronto 24 Dec 1945). Blessed with a quick wit, a creative mind and an optimistic determination, the irrepressible Steve Smith is a journeyman entertainer who created one of the most enduring characters in Canadian television history.
Philip J. (James) Thomas. Folksong collector, composer, singer, teacher, b Victoria, BC, 26 Mar 1921, d Vancouver, BC, 26 Jan 2007; BA English and history (British Columbia) 1948, B Ed (B.C.) 1949. Following a year of war service in India, for most of Philip J.
Countries, communities, and individuals around the world are grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. How will historians remember this time in history? Canada During COVID-19: A Living Archive is meant to capture the experiences of everyday Canadians as they live through this challenging time.
The right to vote in Canada has not been straightforward. Race, ethnicity, and gender were often factors in determining who had the right to vote, a right that, once earned, could be taken away. Learn about the complicated history of Voting Rights in Canada.
The Cowboy Junkies are an alternative country and folk-rock band based in Toronto. Their breakthrough album, The Trinity Session (1988), established their signature sound, a melancholic mix of folk and blues marked by stripped-down instrumentation and lead singer Margo Timmins’s hushed yet haunting vocals. One of the most popular Canadian bands of the late 1980s and 1990s, the Cowboy Junkies have had two platinum and three gold albums in Canada and have sold more than 5 million albums worldwide. They have been inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
Her Majesty (HM) Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, consort of King George VI and mother of Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, the United Kingdom and 13 other Commonwealth realms (born 4 August 1900 in London, United Kingdom; died 30 March 2002 in Windsor, United Kingdom). In 1939, Queen Elizabeth became the first queen consort to visit Canada with her reigning husband. Her determination to remain in London during the Blitz made her an inspirational figure during the Second World War. Her tours of Canada spanned a 50-year period from 1939 to 1989. She was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2000.
Hugh John Hood, writer, academic (b at Toronto 30 Apr 1928; d at Montreal 1 Aug 2000). Hood's writings present a view of Canadian experience in this century realistic in detail and emblematic in intent.
Marian Mildred Dale Scott, painter (b at Montréal 26 June 1906; d at Montreal 28 Nov 1993). For 50 years Scott experimented with fresh art forms, reaching for symmetry, often through repetition of small abstract forms.
Efa Prudence Heward, painter (born 2 July 1896 in Montréal, QC; died 19 March 1947 in Los Angeles, California). Heward specialized in portraits of women, despite the popularity of landscape painting during her lifetime.
