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Meet Some Great Canadians

Here's an alphabetized list of the top one hundred Greatest Canadians nominated by you:


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D  

JOHN WESLEY DAFOE
JOHN WESLEY DAFOE 1866-1944
For over four decades, the fearless newspaperman edited the Manitoba (later Winnipeg) Free Press, shaping it into a respected national institution.
(PHOTO:WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

GENERAL ROMÉO DALLAIRE
GENERAL ROMÉO DALLAIRE 1946-
As Commander of the UN Observer Mission in Rwanda, Dallaire tried in vain to warn the UN and others of the impending genocide. His efforts to stop the slaughter and since then, to advance the cause of humanism, have earned him such descriptions as 'a shining beacon' and 'the last just man.' (PHOTO:NATIONAL DEFENCE IMAGE LIBRARY)

ROBERTSON DAVIES
ROBERTSON DAVIES 1913-1995
His novels peered behind the closed curtains of small-town Ontario life and revealed heaps of Jungian archetypes and academic skeletons-in-the-closet. Davies' works, translated into several languages, helped push Canadian literature from comparative obscurity into the world's spotlight. (PHOTO:NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF CANADA)

GENERAL JOHN DE CHASTELAIN
GENERAL JOHN DE CHASTELAIN 1938-
One of the chief negotiators of Northern Ireland's Good Friday agreement, the popular general also served as chair of the Decommissioning Body tasked with disarming the paramilitaries. His diplomacy and calm earned this Canadian a reputation as 'the most patient man in Ireland.' (PHOTO:NATIONAL DEFENCE IMAGE LIBRARY)

JOHN DIEFENBAKER
JOHN DIEFENBAKER 1895-1979
He fought for the underdog, revitalized western agriculture, pilloried apartheid and helped introduce the Canadian Bill of Rights and the federal franchise for native peoples. This populist politician knew both the pinnacle of popularity and the depths of rejection.
(PHOTO:NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF CANADA)

CÉLINE DION
CÉLINE DION 1968-
As the youngest of 14 children, it's possible she might occasionally have lacked attention as a small child. Not any more. Today, millions of fans cherish every song sung by the most famous pop diva in the world.

TOMMY DOUGLAS
TOMMY DOUGLAS 1904-1986
A childhood bone disease impressed on him the need to make medical help a right, not a privilege. As leader of North America's first socialist government, he introduced groundbreaking social reforms leading to the creation of Medicare and a national pension plan.
(PHOTO: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF CANADA)

JEAN DRAPEAU
JEAN DRAPEAU 1916-1999
In pursuit of his politique de grandeur, Montréal's popular and ruthless mayor gave his city a subway, the Montréal Expos, Place des Arts, Expo 67, and the summer Olympics of 1976. (PHOTO:NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF CANADA)

GABRIEL DUMONT
GABRIEL DUMONT 1837-1906
The celebrated Métis could speak French and six Indian languages. A natural leader, he tried to unite and organize Métis and Indians. During the Northwest Rebellion, he acted as Riel's 'adjutant general,' displaying an inherent grasp of strategy and guerilla tactics. (PHOTO:NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF CANADA)

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SIR TIMOTHY EATON'
SIR TIMOTHY EATON 1834-1907
No bargaining. Cash only. These rules helped him build up one of the largest department store chains in North America. As the Canadian West opened up, Eaton glimpsed opportunities ahead for a mail order business. His catalogue was so popular, it became known as the Prairie Bible. (PHOTO:METROPOLITAN TORONTO REFERENCE LIBRARY)

ATOM EGOYAN
ATOM EGOYAN 1960-
One of the most celebrated contemporary filmmakers in Canada, Egoyan's work is recognized worldwide. His 1997 film, The Sweet Hereafter took home the prestigious Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and earned him two Academy Award nominations.
(PHOTO:FILM PR)

ARTHUR ERICKSON
ARTHUR ERICKSON 1924-  
His work shows a flair for drama and geometric form. Many of his buildings have come to define their location: Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall, Vancouver's Simon Fraser University and Ottawa's soaring glass-framed Bank of Canada.
(PHOTO:GLOBAL PRESS)

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REGINALD FESSENDEN
REGINALD FESSENDEN 1866-1932  
Electricity sparked his boyish imagination and led him to pester Thomas Edison for a job at Edison Labs. The brilliant inventor discovered a way of transmitting human voices. He invented radio, bringing into the homes all the sounds of the world.
(PHOTO:NORTH CAROLINA ARCHIVES)

TIMOTHY FINDLEY
TIMOTHY FINDLEY 1930-2002
He began as a young actor and his last play, Elizabeth Rex, pays tribute to the theatre's power. As a novelist, Findley received national and international acclaim. (PHOTO:CBC)

SIR SANDFORD FLEMING
SIR SANDFORD FLEMING 1827-1915
His mind was always ticking. He envisaged a railway route to the Pacific long before he helped build it. He co-founded the Royal Canadian Institute. He gave the world its international system of standard time and Canada its first postage stamp. With it came a national emblem, the beaver.
(PHOTO:NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF CANADA)

MAUREEN FORRESTER
MAUREEN FORRESTER 1931-
As a girl she toiled to pay for voice lessons. But her 1953 début made it all worthwhile, leading to international acclaim. A contralto of dramatic power and a superb interpreter of Mahler, Forrester has played ambassador for Canadian composers, featuring their work in her programmes.
(PHOTO:CBC)

MICHAEL J. FOX
MICHAEL J. FOX 1961- 
During the day he worked on the successful series Family Ties, while at night he shot Back to the Future. The Burnaby-born actor has always worked hard. Diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1990, his foundation funds research into this devastating disease.
(PHOTO:BAKER, WINOKUR, RYDER)

TERRY FOX
TERRY FOX 1958-1981
After losing a leg to cancer, he set out on his 1980 Cross-Canada Marathon of Hope, raising millions for research and inspiring millions to follow suit every year. He gave the disease a human face and when he died at 23, all Canada was united in its admiration and sorrow.
(PHOTO:NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF CANADA)

DR URSULA FRANKLIN
DR URSULA FRANKLIN 1921-
Metallurgist Ursula Franklin used pioneering techniques to probe the effect of nuclear weapons-testing fallout on children's teeth. Dedicated to helping girls advance in science, she is a peace and justice advocate and the first woman to be granted the title University Professor at U of T (1984). (PHOTO:UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO ARCHIVES)

BARBARA FRUM
BARBARA FRUM 1937-1992 
Whether hosting As it Happens or the Journal, Frum was a consummate interviewer, never afraid to ask the difficult question, never afraid to use silence to draw out her interviewee. Tough and compassionate, she became the most popular woman broadcaster of her generation.
(PHOTO:CBC)

NORTHROP FRYE
NORTHROP FRYE 1912-1991
An unassuming literary scholar raised in Moncton, became one of the world's foremost cultural figures. His seminal book, The Anatomy of Criticism, heralded a whole new era in literary interpretation and analysis. (PHOTO:NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF CANADA)

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