Munsch, Petitclerc among Canadian Walk of Fame inductees
Last Updated: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 | 1:51 PM ET
CBC News
Children's author Robert Munsch, rock veteran Tom Cochrane and champion wheelchair racer Chantal Petitclerc are among the newest celebrity figures to be honoured on Canada's Walk of Fame.
Organizers of the annual celebration, now in its 12th year, announced in Toronto on Tuesday the nine prominent Canadians getting the honour in 2009.
They also include rock group Blue Rodeo, comedian Howie Mandel, and fashion designer siblings Dean & Dan Caten.
TV's Samantha Jones and Perry Mason — actors Kim Cattrall and the late Raymond Burr, respectively — round out the newest laureates.
The achievements of this year's inductees "are truly astounding and continue to resonate throughout the country and around the world," Peter Soumalias, CEO and president of Canada's Walk of Fame, said in a statement.
New Westminister, B.C.-born actor Burr, who died in 1993, is being honoured posthumously for his prolific acting career, which included theatre stints and appearances in more than 90 movies before he landed the iconic role of defence attorney Perry Mason in the classic TV series. He would also go on to star as the titular crime-fighting detective in TV's Ironside.
Like Burr, Cattrall hails from B.C. and is also most associated with one of TV's most memorable characters: the sexually voracious Samantha Jones from the cable series Sex and the City. Her extensive acting credits span film, stage and television.
Two top selling rock acts, both stalwarts of Canada's musical landscape and Juno Award winners, are among this year's inductees: Manitoba-born singer-songwriter and musician Tom Cochrane and Toronto band Blue Rodeo.
Several other 2009 inductees claim Toronto as their hometowns: twin brothers Dean and Dan Caten, who have thrived in the international fashion scene since the 1980s with their designer label Dsquared2, and standup comedian, actor and host Mandel.
The Pittsburgh-born Munsch, the beloved storyteller who has made Canada his home since the 1970s, is the internationally renowned author of more than 50 children's books. Munsch, who released his latest book, Down the Drain! this spring, is currently taking a break after suffering a stroke in August 2008.
Being recognized on Canada's Walk of Fame joins the many accolades for Quebec Paralympic champion Petitclerc, who won the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's top athlete of the year in December after she won all five of her events at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics — setting two world records in the process.
Each year, the Walk of Fame recognizes achievements from the fields of music, film and television, the literary, visual and performing arts, sport, science and innovation. To qualify, candidates must have either been born in Canada or spent their formative or creative years in Canada, and must have a body of work that has had an impact on the country's cultural heritage. Recipients receive a star that is embedded in the sidewalk of Toronto's downtown theatre district.
The 2009 inductees will be celebrated at a gala at Toronto's Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on Sept. 12.
With this year's additions, Canada's Walk of Fame tally expands to 124. Past honourees have included Margaret Atwood, Fay Wray, Mario Lemieux and Buffy Sainte-Marie.
