While there are 15 deserving athletes on this list, there are a number of incredible Canadian athletes that didnt make the cut, which wasnt an easy decision. In the 1920s, she helped found the Provincial Franchise Committee for Womens Suffrage and began fighting for the right for women to vote provincially in Qubec a battle that would last more than two decades before victory was achieved. Anglo-Jamaican in origin, the sportsperson specializes in 100m and 200m and began his athletic career with the USC Trojans while in college. He is currently ranked 4th in the world, though he was ranked 3rd for a time in 2016. The grandson of Patriote Louis-Joseph Papineau, Bourassa was an independent thinker who became a political model for his generation and the next. He refused to take his salary as a Member of Parliament under Wilfrid Laurier and challenged the imperialist tendencies in the cabinet. Ben Johnson also won a gold medal at the 1985 World Indoor Championships. A true family affair. Olympic silver medalist Canadian long-distance runner Mohammed Ahmed scripted history as Canadas first medal winner at the 5,000m at both the World Championships and the Olympics. Brooke Henderson. Not the athlete with the most titles under his belt or the most trophies to show off, but rather Fox is remembered as a great Canadian athlete due to his amazing bravery in the face of something terrifying. Muhammed Ali said Chuvalo was the toughest fighter he ever faced. Jeannie Longos athletic career began in her hometown in the French Alps. In 2019, she already has two top-10 finishes under her belt and in 2018 she became the first Canadian woman to win the Canadian Women's Open in 45 years. The Ontario native has also represented Canada on the international stage several times, including being a member of the bronze medal winning squad at the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship. When the American Revolution (1775-1783 . The Saskatchewan-raised athlete skated for both the Oilers and the Boston Bruins, and was also playing for Edmonton's AHL affiliate team, the Bakersfield Condors, in the 2019-2020 season. Not only that, his heart was on the right side of his chest. She'll forever be known as the "fastest woman on ice.". Obviously the diamond took a back seat to the ice as she went on to the most prolific career in women's hockey. He was born on 26th January 1961. Despite having just one MLB team, Canada has produced some talented baseball players over the years, but none compare to Fergie Jenkins. Introducing a few of the many Montralers who became important figures in Canadian history. Nicknamed The Big Train, Lionel Conacher might be the least known athlete on this list, despite having a national award named after him. She has worn the Canadian jersey at 4 FIFA Womens World Cups and 3 Summer Olympic Games, earning bronze medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. It's incredible how many setbacks the Firths endured - illness, the death of their mother - but they always kept fighting through. She represented Canada at the 2008 Paralympic Games, where she won a bronze medal. Adriana John In fact, his plan for Canadian independence from the British Parliament became reality in 1931, with the signing of the Statute of Westminster. Off the field, she continues to be a inspiration to countless Canadian girls with their own dreams of athletic glory. This article originally appeared in the April-May 2017issue ofCanadas History. Clara Hughes (Road Cycling/Speed Skating) Hughes has won six Olympic medals in her . Being the best at one sport is quite an accomplishment, but being the best at two sports is phenomenal. Though they went undefeated (27-0) through FOUR Olympic Games (1924-1936), there were no gold medals to show around their necks. She's a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, the IIHF Hall of Fame and is currently the Assistant Director of Player Development for the Toronto Maple Leafs. And that wasn't the end of it. She ran the anchor leg for Jane Bell, Ethel Smith and Myrtle Cook as Canada won gold in the inaugural 4x100-metre relay. She won three gold medals in total at the Commonwealth Games in 1990 and 1994. Called the greatest hockey player of all time by many and its unlikely hell lose that title anytime soon. He also won the French national championship in the 5000-meter race, thus qualifying him for the Olympic Games in Antwerp in 1920. Ben Johnson is a Canadian retired sprinter who was adjudged the world's fastest man during the 198788 season after he broke the 60m and 100m indoor world records. Named the Female Athlete of the First Half-Century by Canada, she also excelled in hockey, apart from track and field. 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. You can help make our past relevant, engaging, empowering and accessible. 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. Rachel Homan is a Canadian professional curler best known for winning the gold medal at the 2017 World Curling Championships. He was the inspiration for the 1998 movie My Giant. Between Shirley and Sharon, they won 48 Canadian championships. According to the 2016 census,Frenchwas the mother tongue language of 7,166,705 people, or 21 per cent of the Canadian population. She's regarded as the greatest women's hockey player of all-time, but at one point, she traded in that hockey stick, helmet & shoulder pads for a bat, ball & glove. They were born 15 minutes apart to a traditional hunting and trapping family on the Mackenzie Delta, north of the Arctic Circle. Together, they left trails of smoke on tracks from Vancouver to Sochi and just about everywhere around the globe. Sufia Banu ski industry. She was 15 when she began training in hurdles. Nicknamed The Predator, Patrick Ct is a former Canadian boxer and MMA fighter. 50.97, Ethel Smith is the most famous Canadian Athlete. High Jumper Derek Drouin takes the 6th spot on our list of The Top 10 Canadian Athletes. He is deemed one of the worlds greatest athletes. Donovan Bailey is a retired Jamaican-Canadian sprinter. 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. Canadian teammate Ethel Catherwood won gold in high jump. You probably think of hockey and a variety of other winter sports, anything that requires snow and ice. If you don't already know these athletes, you should. Now, Humphries competes for the United States after an acrimonious split from the Canadian program. He won the Olympic silver medal in the 10,000-meter long distance race. Phil Edwards was a Guyanese-born Canadian track and field athlete who specialized in middle-distance events. Oleksiak is a freestyle and butterfly swimmer who won 4 medals (a record for a Canadian athlete at a single Summer Olympics) at the Rio Olympics: gold in the 100m freestyle, silver in the 100m butterfly, and bronze in both the 4 x 100m and 4 x 200m freestyle relays. Born in Montral in 1786, he grew up at his familys estate and studied law. Ferguson Jenkins Hometown: Chatham, Ontario. Canadian track and field athlete and Paralympian Rick Hansen is a 3-time Paralympic Games champion. She's a major reason why the team won back-to-back bronze medals in the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. She later stepped down as head of the WADA athlete's committee, but not before making sure a charter of rights for athletes was approved for entry into the WADA archives. Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet. 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. 30 Famous Francophones Updated by Celine Cooper 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. But for these 12 athletes, both seasons are their favourite as they have competed at the summer and winter Olympic Games. Getty/Tim Clayton-Corbis As Insider reported, 23-year-old Osaka, the No. Gold at home in Vancouver 2010 and a repeat four years later in Russia. Armand Mouyal, French fencer (pe), national champion Claude Netter, French fencer (foil), Olympic champion Christian d'Oriola, French Olympic and World Champion, named "Fencer of the 20th Century" by the FIE, International Fencing Federation, in 2001. Sinclair serves as the captain of the national team and is Canada's all-time leader in caps (247) and goals (167). This laid the groundwork for a federation of the British colonies. Candice Quigley Impressed by Mance and her mission, Peltrie decided to join the group. But you could argue Nancy Greene's greatest contribution was inspirational. She was a downhill skier before switching to cycling at the urging of her coach, Patrice Ciprelli, who later became her husband. From the ice to the hardcourt, theres not much doubt about who Canadas greatest basketball player is. From 1972 to 1984, Shirley and Sharon Firth went to four consecutive Winter Olympics, shaped the sport of cross-country skiing in the north and ignited a conversation around indigenous culture. An MFC middleweight champion, he has also won 3 UFC titles. As one of the worlds best decathletes, London, Ontarios Damian Warner is deserving of a spot on this list of the best Canadian athletes. 1 Georges St-Pierre (One of the Greatest Fighters in the History of Mixed Martial Arts) 37 21 Listed In: Sportspersons Birthdate: May 19, 1981 Sun Sign: Taurus Height: 5'10" (178 cm) 2 Glenn Ford (One of the Most Prominent Actors During Hollywood's Golden Age) 70 12 Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities Birthdate: May 1, 1916 Sun Sign: Taurus He is the eighth of nine children of Alma Elaine Conroy (ne Donnelly), a . The first of five hockey players on the list is also the most obvious. Five years later, he received his first players license. He holds the Canadian record in high jump, clearing 2.40m in 2014. Born in Montral in 1896, Casgrain was the daughter of businessman and politician Sir Rodolphe Forget and Lady Blanche MacDonald. Gordie Howe Hometown: Floral, Saskatchewan. Playing in other North American professional leagues, Former NCAA Division I players awaiting professional play. When things went wrong in seventeenth-century Quebec, authorities were not above blaming black magic. Drouin also won gold at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, and won 5 NCAA titles while competing for the Indiana Hoosiers. She intends to go for gold again with the Stars and Stripes at Beijing 2022. The former Canadian senator is better known as the best alpine skier of her day. She retired in January of this year with 168 goals and 211 assists to her name in just 276 career games. 2 female tennis player in the world, withdrew from the French Open on Monday after she was fined $15,000 for failing to attend a post-match press conference. Milos Raonic and Denis Shapovalov showed the world that Canadians can play tennis as well as the rest of them. 8. Sidney Crosby no doubt deserves this ranking, given he has been at the top of his sport for the last decade, achieving great success both professionally with the NHLs Pittsburgh Penguins, and internationally as a member of Team Canada. Without a doubt, Canadas greatest basketball player. She was also part of the team that won bronze medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. anniversary in 2015, theEncyclopediadrew up the following list of 30 francophones from all corners of French-speaking Canada who have achieved fame in various fields. However, France has also produced some of the worlds most famous athletes. Similarly to Andre De Grasse, Penny Oleksiak used the 2016 Summer Olympics as a means to catapult herself to the forefront of her sport. Ballard also owned the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL. While he started his training in ice hockey at age 5, he later switched to figure skating. When it comes to sports in which Canadians are underrepresented, being the first goes a long way. Just before winning four consecutive Olympic gold medals in hockey, Wickenheiser starred for the softball team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. They learned the sport from a French priest on borrowed skis from a U.S. Army base and eventually a small nordic team was formed. or back-to-back World Cup overall titles, Greene Raine ruled the slopes and inspired the next generation of ski racers, male and female. Orr won eight consecutive Norris Trophies as the NHLs best defenseman and three consecutive Hart Trophies as the leagues MVP. In the weeks leading up to July 1st, we will be releasing articles on the best Canada has to offer. The project was supported by the Governor General Lord Durham but was rejected by London. List features athletes like Kaillie Humphries, Lynn Kanuka-Williams. A long-time member of the Canadian national team, Sinclair currently has the 2nd most international goals in female soccer history. After being elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada, Papineau became the leader of the Parti Canadien, which later became the Patriote party. When they were six, their whole community was up and moved to Inuvik. Cindy Klassen Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba. They set off the following spring, reaching le de Montral and founding Ville-Marie. A lot can happen in four years. We recognize the resilience of Indigenous storytellers and Knowledge Keepers who have kept their stories alive despite attempts to silence them. Known for his mix of speed, power, skill, and grit. You probably don't know these names, but you should. Explore a timeline of Montreals 375-year history! Its always an inspiring sight to see a Canadian with that gold medal around their neck. She sings in both French and English, layering beautiful vocal hooks and incredible musical arrangements into one awesome package. Women's basketball didn't become an official Olympic sport until 1976. In PyeongChang 2018, Humphries partnered with sprinter Phylicia George winning a bronze medal. 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. She was named Canadas Athlete of the Year in 1967 and followed it up with another World Cup title in 1968, as well as a gold and silver medal in the Olympics and another gold medal at the world championships. She won bronze at the 2002 Salt Lake City games, a gold and silver in the 2006 Turin games and another bronze on home soil at the 2010 Vancouver games. McBean, one of Canada's most decorated Olympians, and Heddle captured the gold in the coxless pair at Barcelona 1992 and followed it up with gold in the double sculls at Atlanta 1996. His skating ability, offensive skill, and great hockey IQ have convinced many people that he will soon be (if he isnt already) the best hockey player in the world.