Leader of the Red River and Northwest Rebellions and founder of Manitoba, Riel was twice elected to the House of Commons but was prevented from taking his seat. His execution burst open Canada's cultural and political divide and to this day, haunts our national conscience. Explore audio and video clips of Louis Riel from the CBC Archives.

(PHOTO:SASKATCHEWAN ARCHIVES BOARD)

After her humble beginnings singing in a hotel bar in Timmins, she changed her name to “Shania”. When her four albums spawned a slew of country-pop hits, the midriff-baring chanteuse behind “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” and “I’m Gonna Getcha Good” reinvigorated a well-worn music genre and promptly became the top-selling country artist of all time.

He honed his comic chops at Second City, then during his six seasons on Saturday Night Live. Topping the box office as a Scarborough headbanger in Wayne’s World (1992) and a shagadelic secret agent in three Austin Powers films, he proved himself one of Canada’s most gifted comics, and adoring fans love to watch him party on.

He died during one of the crucial battles of the First World War, and in May, 2000, his remains were retrieved from Vimy Ridge and reburied at the base of the National War Memorial in Ottawa. Though his history is “unknown,” his tomb ensures that the 116,000 soldiers who gave their lives for peace and freedom in Canada will never be forgotten.

Encouraged by his father to join the Rotary Club, he held his own meeting with a small group of friends instead, and in 1920, the Kinsmen Club was born. Today,, Kinsmen and Kinettes promote positive values and foster national pride through their fundraising projects and work with the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

This comic first attracted attention as Fire Marshall Bill on In Living Colour, then perfected his rubber-faced style in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) and Dumb and Dumber (1994). After winning two Golden Globe Awards for The Truman Show (1998) and Man in the Moon (1999), he settled into his most natural role yet: bankable Hollywood superstar.

An on-air personality at Winnipeg’s Power 97 radio station and a regular host of amateur talent searches and Budweiser Messy Wrestling Nights at the Henderson Draft House, his loyal fans think he’s the greatest.
(PHOTO : Winnipeg Sun )

With costumes from his “Tickle Trunk” and the help of puppets Casey and Finnegan, he inspired generations of kids and grown-ups to use their imaginations. A fixture on T.V. for over three decades, the man who Mr. Rogers described as “pure in heart” was an active off-screen spokesperson for Canadian Save the Children, and was admitted to the Order of Canada in 1996.

The teenaged “punk princess” who topped the Canadian charts with her irresistibly hooky first single (“Complicated”) hails from Napanee. Her tomboyish fashion sense and poppy empowerment songs (“Sk8er Boi” and “Don’t Tell Me”) made her an instant role model for throngs of teenage girls.

Displaying an early love of learning, she went on to become an established author, lecturer, filmmaker and the best-known member of the Bahai community. After marrying Guardian Shoghi Effendi Rabbani in 1937, she spent her life working to promote the Bahai message of peace and tolerance.
(PHOTO :NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
OF THE BAHÁÍS OF CANADA )

During a 40-year political career, he held every major portfolio in Cabinet and was instrumental in defeating the “Yes” vote in two Quebec separatist referendums. In his three terms as prime minister, he was never afraid to take a stand, notably refusing to send Canadian troops into the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Explore audio and video clips of Jean Chrétien from the CBC Archives.

(PHOTO: AP)

A poet and novelist who became a pop star, Cohen's constant spiritual quest expressed in his lyrics, connects him to millions of fans around the world. Explore audio and video clips of Leonard Cohen from the CBC Archives.

(PHOTO:CBC

The master of the one-minute rant, this gifted writer and actor sharpened his comic teeth on Made in Canada and This Hour Has 22 Minutes. When he took to the streets in Talking to Americans, the self-professed news junkie moved from the sidelines to center stage as Canada’s most biting political satirist.
(PHOTO:CBC)

Plucked from obscurity at a football game, the buxom Vancouver native went on to be a Tool Time Girl, Playboy cover model and Baywatch superstar. But with her subsequent acting roles, tongue-in-cheek novel, Star, and work as a spokesperson for PETA, this savvy blonde proved she was anything but dumb.
(PHOTO:AP)

He performed dramatic roles on Broadway and at Ontario’s Stratford Theatre, until he signed on to play Captain James T. Kirk on Star Trek in 1966. Stardom and cult status soon followed, and to this day, critics still use the word “Shatnerian” to describe his signature dramatic pauses.

In 2001, she became the first woman ever to be appointed Auditor General of Canada. When she took aim at the federal government’s gun registry, privacy commissioner and sponsorship contracts in a series of scandal-inducing reports, she earned a reputation as being both tough and fair.

After founding Women in Transition, one of the first battered women shelters in Canada, she became the first black person ever appointed to the Canadian Senate in 1984. She remains an outspoken defender of family values and rights, advocating for fathers’ rights and fair treatment for men and women in the aftermath of divorce.

After starting his career with the Chicago Blackhawks and winning a Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars, this fiery player now tends goal for the Toronto Maple Leafs. His ability to cover the net has clinched his position as one of the most consistent goalies in the NHL.

Born in Sarnia, Ontario, he started dreaming early, when he joined the Holiday Inn golf club at the age of 8. By the ripe old age of 32, he won the Masters, making him one of the top 3 pros in the world, and the most successful golfer in Canadian history.

When he gave up his family practice and began performing illegal abortions in 1969, he embarked on what would be a lifelong crusade. When the Supreme Court declared Canada’s abortion laws “unconstitutional” in 1988, his dream of ensuring women could access safe and secure abortion services became a reality. Explore audio and video clips of Dr. Henry Morgentaler from the CBC Archives.

This gravelly voiced Vancouver rocker is equally at home playing rock anthems (“Cuts Like A Knife”) or power ballads (“Heaven”), and was one of the songwriters behind the famine relief single “Tears Are Not Enough.” He’s still recording hit albums, and also forging a successful career as a photographer. Explore audio and video clips of Bryan Adams from the CBC Archives.

As a member of the Juno-winning rock trio Rush, his impressive keyboard riffs and complex bass guitar licks made him the envy of aspiring musicians everywhere. His distinctive vocals landed “Tom Sawyer,” “Limelight” and “Closer to the Heart” on the charts and eventually earned him a place in the Order of Canada.

As head of the North-West Mounted Police’s (NWMP) “D” division, he was a key player in some of Canada’s most significant historical events – the Northwest Rebellion (1885),the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), and the Yukon Gold Rush. In a 40-year military career that took him to both the Boer and First World Wars, this legendary figure displayed strength and determination.