She was a downhill skier before switching to cycling at the urging of her coach, Patrice Ciprelli, who later became her husband. She'll forever be known as the "fastest woman on ice.". They're the most successful team in Canadian history, winning an astounding 95 per cent of their matches. She won three gold medals in total at the Commonwealth Games in 1990 and 1994. Two-time national champion and retired Canadian figure skater Nam Nguyen has also been a World Junior Champion in 2014. Between Shirley and Sharon, they won 48 Canadian championships. He was the inspiration for the 1998 movie My Giant. In the early 2000s, he spent the majority of his time in the top ten rankings and brought a major golf title to Canada for the first time ever when he won the Masters in 2003. Widely regarded as Canadas top female athlete of the 20th century, Greene was a trailblazer for female Canadian athletes. One of the most beautiful and glamorous female tennis player, Genie Bouchard may not be ranked amongst top 10greatest Canadian athletes right now, but she deserve the honorable spot here. We recognize the resilience of Indigenous storytellers and Knowledge Keepers who have kept their stories alive despite attempts to silence them. They were 19-year-old pups when they represented Canada in London 2012 and veterans when the team finished seventh in Rio 2016. Gretzky is the only NHL player to ever total more than 200 points in a single season, and he didnt just do it once, but four times. Velma Springstead was a Canadian athlete best remembered for winning a gold medal at the 1925 Canadian Track and Field Championships in Halifax. Donovan Bailey Hometown: Manchester, Jamaica (immigrated to Oakville, Ontario). She had been threatened with expulsion from the tournament if she continued to miss press obligations. The project was supported by the Governor General Lord Durham but was rejected by London. 2021 all rights reserved, SeasonedPros.ca. Off the field, she continues to be a inspiration to countless Canadian girls with their own dreams of athletic glory. He played professionally for Cannes in 1989. Shes considered one of the best female soccer players of all time and has 296 appearances and 186 goals for Canada. JB Blanc (born 1969), actor; father of French descent. He holds the Canadian record in the decathlon, and seeing how he has continued to improve throughout his career, look for him to keep making an impact at the international level in the future. His illustrious career has seen him compete internationally for Jamaica, Canada, and Monaco. Aside from the Masters, Weir had seven other PGA Tour victories between 1999 and 2007. ski industry. He moved to Montral at the age of ten and entered the College de Montral. He also won the 4x100m relay at the 2018 NACAC Championships. In his early days, he excelled in high jump and discus throw, too. And this weekend Sidney Crosby will be taking his second Stanley Cup home to his Nova Scotia hometown. With so many trailblazers in this country, this list could run off the page. He also won a gold medal at the 1930 British Empire Games in Hamilton. Canadas National History Society acknowledges that we meet and work across the ancestral lands of many Indigenous peoples: First Nations, Inuit, and Mtis. To celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2015, The Canadian Encyclopedia created 30 lists of 30 things that make us proud to be Canadian, from famous people and historic events, to iconic foods and influential artists. The world-famous Andr the Giant died of congestive heart failure in Paris in 1993, after attending his fathers funeral. He was the first Canadian, and first Cubs pitcher, to win a Cy Young Award as the leagues best pitcher and accumulated over 3,000 strikeouts in his long career. Melissa Benoist, American actress, of partial French descent through paternal great-grandfather. 7 Curling. They made little Inuvik a hotbed of ski talent. He also won a gold medal at the 1993 IAAF World Indoor Championships. She won the first-ever World Cup skiing race in 1967 before winning gold at the 1968 winter Olympic giant slalom event. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Cindy Klassen Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba. This resulted in unrest leading to the Lower Canada Rebellion of 183738. He remains the only defenseman to lead the league in scoring, which he did twice, although Brent Burns is trying his best to join Orr in that regard this season. An MFC middleweight champion, he has also won 3 UFC titles. At the time of his retirement, Gretzky held 61 NHL records. Whether it was donating to Right to Play or breaking down the stigma around mental illness in Bell's "Let's Talk" campaign, she's a champion through and through. Nicknamed The Predator, Patrick Ct is a former Canadian boxer and MMA fighter. The first Olympic Winter Games took place in 1924 in Chamonix, France.Canada's first female Winter Olympian was 15-year-old Cecil Smith, who finished sixth in the women's figure skating competition and seventh in the pairs competition with Melville Rogers. He also won the French national championship in the 5000-meter race, thus qualifying him for the Olympic Games in Antwerp in 1920. Before there was Montral, there was Hochelaga a sixteenth-century agricultural community that mysteriously vanished. More common known as GSP, Georges St. Pierre was a large factor in turning the UFC from a marginally watched sport into the powerhouse it is today. He is best known for winning the US Triple Crown in 1973, riding the famous American thoroughbred racehorse, Secretariat. 5 Bobsleigh. If you dont already know these athletes, you should. Scarborough, Ontarios Andre De Grasse was a relatively late bloomer in the sport of track and field, as he didnt seriously begin racing until he was partway through high school. Brooke has been a top-10 competitor on the LPGA for a couple years now, but she's still just 21 years old. She intends to go for gold again with the Stars and Stripes at Beijing 2022. Same result champions. Canadian athlete Earl Thomson, or Tommy Thomson, scripted history as the first non-American to win a 110m hurdles Olympic gold medal. In fact, his plan for Canadian independence from the British Parliament became reality in 1931, with the signing of the Statute of Westminster. Jenkins wasnt just a talented baseball player either, as he spent a few off-seasons playing for the Harlem Globetrotters. She did it in her 500-metre specialty at both the 1998 and 2002 Games. In 2022, Andre De Grasse won a gold medal at the World Championships. And that wasn't the end of it. He was the youngest player to ever win 2 titles at 3 tennis grand slams and the first one to win the French Championship Grand Slam title in mens single in 1925. Impressed by Mance and her mission, Peltrie decided to join the group. All rights reserved. His championship wins and titles are too many to name, but hes won the Indianapolis 500, and the Formula One World Championshiponly the third racer to have done so and the first Canadian to win the Indy 500 and F-1 championships. An artists essay became a call-to-arms for social change. She represented Canada at the 2008 Paralympic Games, where she won a bronze medal. In 1916 she married Pierre Casgrain, a federal Liberal politician. He once held the world record for the 100 meters and is considered the greatest Canadian sprinter of all time. As one of the worlds best decathletes, London, Ontarios Damian Warner is deserving of a spot on this list of the best Canadian athletes. The Great One holds almost every NHL record you can think of and helped Edmonton become the City of Champions in the late 1980s. He won gold twice at the 1996 games and was the record-holder for the 100m sprint. 50.97, Ethel Smith is the most famous Canadian Athlete. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Steve Nashs stature may not immediately make you regard him as an amazing basketball player, but you know what they say about judging books by their covers. The list is made up from athletes whose skills are undeniable, as well as their place within their respective sport and their representation of Canada. Oendrila De Jeannie Longo's athletic career began in her hometown in the French Alps. Lemieux is narrowly behind Gretzky for the highest all-time points per game in the NHL and the two Canadians are a half point higher than anyone else on the list. By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. She's the only athlete in history to win multiple medals at both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. She was also part of the team that won bronze medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. Klassen also won a bronze medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, tying her with Clara Hughes for the Canadian record of six total medals at the Olympics. The 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, women were allowed to compete in track and field for the first time and the Canadian women headed straight to the podium. In the weeks leading up to July 1st, we will be releasing articles on the best Canada has to offer. Had it not been for some bizarre and unfortunate Olympic qualifying rules and domestic standards,they would have competed at Tokyo 2020 in the debut of 3-on-3 basketball and been a medal favourite. There are a number of Canadians doing good things on the PGA Tour, but that wasnt always the case. She's a major reason why the team won back-to-back bronze medals in the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. She retired after 2012 London Games after finishing fifth in the time trial. Gretzky holds the title of The Great One due to his undeniable skill in the game, but why is it then that Gordie Howe holds the title of Mr.Hockey? Probably Canada's most famous Paralympic athlete, he's won three golds, two silvers and one bronze between 1980 and 1984. As a young man, he excelled in athletics and became a lacrosse player. The list is in alphabetical order based on last name. When they were six, their whole community was up and moved to Inuvik. Arianne Moffatt, from Quebec City, is a multi-talented singer that is undefinable by any genre standards. Competing in his first Olympics, he won a silver medal in the 200m, and bronze medals in the 100m and 4 x 100m relay. McDavid, a speedy centre, was the first pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, and recently made his first All-Star appearance at the professional level. At the 2006 winter Olympic, Klassen became the only Canadian athlete to ever win five medals at one Olympic games. We reserve the right to close comments at any time. Previously dominated by the Europeans, Greene took over in 1967 winning the inaugural World Cup and seven out of 16 events on the circuit that year. Eventually Bourassa resigned from the Liberal party and became an independent MP. Oleksiakss impressive breakthrough performance in Rio earned her the honor of being named Canadas flag bearer for the Olympic Closing Ceremonies, and won her the Lou Marsh award, given annually to the top Canadian athlete of that year. Nicknamed The Big Train, Lionel Conacher might be the least known athlete on this list, despite having a national award named after him. . That was then. A significant milestone, but even more significant is that hes also the first Canadian to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1995 Longo became the first female rider to win road and time-trial world titles in the same year, a record that stood until Hollands Anna van der Breggen accomplished the same feat in 2020. Cave's death came four days after he had emergency surgery to remove a colloid cyst, which the Canadian Press reports was putting pressure on his brain . He is also the program assistant of Canadas History Society. Throughout his career, he represented Canada at two Olympics, winning two golds and one silver and would later go on to help promote sport in the country. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. Thousands of pieces form Montrals historical patchwork quilt. Le May Doan was the first female speed skater to break the 38-second barrier in the 500-metre event and is also the first Canadian to successfully defend a gold medal in the same event at an Olympics. She won the first-ever World Cup skiing race in 1967 before winning gold at the 1968 winter Olympic giant slalom event. She moved on to ski cross in Sochi 2014 and was predicted to be in the medal hunt at PyeongChang 2018 until she broke both legs in a World Cup event just before the Games. She competed in track and field at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics. His amazing career is one of the longest in NHL history, and though we sadly lost him earlier this year, hell always remain a huge part of Canadian history. 6.Jean Collas (1874 - 1928). He spent five years inside the top 10 of the World Golf Rankings, sandwiched around his historic Masters win in 2003. Nancy Greene Widely regarded as Canada's top female athlete of the 20th century, Greene was a trailblazer for female Canadian athletes. Kim Brunhuber, former CBC anchor Pierre Bruneau, TVA Nathalie Chung, RDI / SRC Bernard Derome, SRC / RDI Simon Durivage, RDI / SRC Cline Galipeau, SRC / RDI Bill Haugland, CTV Jean-Luc Mongrain, TQS, TVA Pascale Nadeau, SRC Mutsumi Takahashi, CTV Sophie Thibault, TVA Todd van der Heyden, CTV Artists and entertainers [ edit] He is currently ranked 4th in the world, though he was ranked 3rd for a time in 2016. Army Howard Army Howard competes in the 4th round of the 100m at the Inter-Allied Games at the Pershing Stadium in Paris in July 1919. Explore a timeline of Montreals 375-year history! Her biography has been translated into 23 different languages on wikipedia. The Somalia-born athlete spent a part of his childhood in Kenya, before moving to Canada at age 11. Born in Montral in 1786, he grew up at his family's estate and studied law. Desai Williams also worked as a coach and trained Olympic athletes like Phylicia George, Justyn Warner, and Tremaine Harris among others. But you could argue Nancy Greene's greatest contribution was inspirational. Although Im from the Philippines, my location independent career took me to over 40 countries and lived in 4 continents in the last 10 years, including France. But for these 12 athletes, both seasons are their favourite as they have competed at the summer and winter Olympic Games. Warner picked up his first Olympic medal, a bronze, at the 2016 Rio Games, and also has silver and bronze medals from the 2015 and 2013 World Championships. Cartier was born in 1814 to a merchant family in Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, north of Montral. Victor Davis, Guelph Andre De Grasse, Scarborough / Markham Lori Dupuis, Cornwall Dave Edge (born 1954), British-Canadian Olympic long-distance runner Terry Farnsworth (born 1942), Olympic judoka Mark Fawcett, Nelson, British Columbia Shaul Gordon (born 1994), Canadian-Israeli Olympic sabre fencer He has been knighted by the Quebec government. In 2004, he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. Lou Marsh was a Canadian athlete who participated in a wide variety of sports during his playing career. She became a member of the Socit Notre-Dame de Montral and obtained funding from benefactor Anglique Bullion to establish a hospital on the island of Montral. In 1942, she ran for federal election as a Liberal and lost. Alwyn Morris (1957-) Canoe-Kayak Sprint Axelle/Bauer-Griffin 22/35 Rachel McAdams This Mean Girl was born in London, Ontario. Indigenous Canadian actor Jay Silverheels gained international popularity for playing Tonto, the Native American companion of the protagonist in the American western TV series The Lone Ranger. Born William Anthony Parker, Jr., in Belgium to an African-American father and a Dutch mother, Tony Parker was raised in France and became a naturalized French citizen at the age of 15. Moyse chose to push for next-generation pilot, Alyssa Rissling. Fanny "Bobbie" Rosenfeld was the premiere sprinter of the Games. Make a donation to Canadas History Society. Hockey as he is commonly known, still holds the record for most games played in the NHL. Together, they sang O Canada, tears of joy in their eyes, while nearby stood proud eldest sister Maxime, who finished 12th. While a lot of countries have one, The main event of UFC Vegas 66 will feature a contest between Cannonier and Sean Strickland, two superb fighters. She's an advocate for persons with disabilities and has served as Canada's chef de mission for the 2016 Rio Paralympic team and the 2014 Commonwealth Games team. Hayley Wickenheiser Hometown: Shaunavon, Saskatchewan. Full statement, Copyright 2023Canadas History Society | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions, Website designed and developed by ecentricarts.com, Historical Thinking Community of Practice. Now such a list will undoubtedly bring about some strong opinions (rightfully so) so lets just get a few things out of the way first. He refused to take his salary as a Member of Parliament under Wilfrid Laurier and challenged the imperialist tendencies in the cabinet. The list features athletes from a wide variety of sports and eras. However, the most impressive thing about Oleksiak may be that shes only 16 years of age; more medals and accolades appear to be in her future. He also won a gold medal at the 1981 Pacific Conference Games and at the 1986 Commonwealth Games. Canada's greatest wheelchair racer of all-time blazes trails wherever her career takes her - as an athlete, advocate or politician. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Playing in other North American professional leagues, Former NCAA Division I players awaiting professional play. His career with the Phoenix Suns was outstanding and saw him awarded as NBAs MVP twice. Gold at home in Vancouver 2010 and a repeat four years later in Russia. He is best known for his charitable endeavor, Man in Motion World Tour, and is associated with many initiatives to fund spinal cord treatment research. Ben Johnson also won a gold medal at the 1985 World Indoor Championships. Mance quickly established a basic hospital that would later become the Htel-Dieu de Montral. Crosbys dominance has continued since then, as he has captained the Penguins to 2 Stanley Cup championships, won 2 Hart trophies (NHL MVP), 2 Art Ross trophies (NHL scoring title), and a Conn Smythe trophy (playoff MVP). Her ski schools were everywhere. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages. Mance, Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve, and the rest of the contingent left La Rochelle, France, on two vessels in May 1641. He later quit sports to pursue acting. Just before winning four consecutive Olympic gold medals in hockey, Wickenheiser starred for the softball team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Penny Oleksiak impressed the entire country with her four medals in last summers Summer games, but it doesnt compare to Cindy Klassens performance at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. Probably Canadas most famous Paralympic athlete, hes won three golds, two silvers and one bronze between 1980 and 1984. Zidane, popularly called Zizou by his adoring fans, is one of the eight players to have won the World Cup, the Ballon dOr, and the Champions League. He retired from professional football in 2006. She also set Canadian womens records in the 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly. He bred and raced Standardbred horses as a hobby. CBC Sports' Signa Butler celebrates some of Canada's most storied female athletes. But not all of us are George Chuvalo. After 1867, Cartier played a key role in bringing Manitoba and British Columbia into Confederation, secured the repatriation of Ruperts Land, and pushed for the building of the transcontinental railway. Hockey has proven that Canada has its fair share of fighters, but not too many of us make a splash in the world of boxing. Lets dive into the list of some of the most famous French athletes of all time. Article Angela Chalmers. Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted. Copyright 2023 by AncoraThemes. You probably don't know these names, but you should. Historic Irish neighbourhood is enjoying a renaissance. Later, she likely worked as a nurse at a hospital in her hometown. Nancy Greene 7. The title of Worlds Greatest Athlete has often been reserved for the best decathlete in the world, as the sport requires all-around ability in a variety of running, throwing, and jumping events. Born in Montral in 1786, he grew up at his familys estate and studied law. Ren Lacoste invented this signature polo shirt, but thats not all. By the Sapporo Olympics of 1972, seven of Canada's nine nordic skiers were from the Mackenzie Delta. Top 10 Female Athletes [ edit] Nancy Greene (born 1943), skier Silken Laumann (born 1964), rower Barbara Ann Scott (1928-2012), figure skater Myriam Bdard (born 1969), biathlon Marnie McBean (born 1968), rower Fanny "Bobbie" Rosenfeld (1904-1969), track-and-field (voted female athlete of the first half of the century) Nicknamed the Man of Bronze, Phil Edwards won five bronze medals for Canada at the Olympic Games between 1928 and 1936. Despite having just one MLB team, Canada has produced some talented baseball players over the years, but none compare to Fergie Jenkins. He is the eighth of nine children of Alma Elaine Conroy (ne Donnelly), a . 1. Similarly to Andre De Grasse, Penny Oleksiak used the 2016 Summer Olympics as a means to catapult herself to the forefront of her sport. She joined the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) athlete committee in 2005 and in 2012 was appointed to their executive committee. Andr the Giant also became a Hollywood actor, debuting as Sasquatch (Bigfoot) in 1976 in a two-part episode aired on the TV series The Six Million Dollar Man.