March 28, 2025 | Miles Brucker

Quiz: Can You Name These Famous Canadians?


Bet You’ll Miss Some

Undoubtedly, Canada has produced pioneers in every field. These icons shine in music, literature, sports, films, and beyond. So, let’s see if you can guess most of these correctly.

Justin Bieber

Behind The Piano's Magic 

This musical eccentric recorded Bach's Goldberg Variations in 1955 and 1981.

File:Johann Sebastian Bach.jpgElias Gottlob Haussmann, Wikimedia Commons

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The Answer 

Glenn Gould. He gained international fame with his recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations, released in 1956. Gould showed extraordinary musical talent from a young age as he began piano lessons at three.

File:Glenn Gould (15548285538).jpgMike from Vancouver, Canada, Wikimedia Commons

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Words That Changed Literature 

Awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature.

File:Medal Nobel Peace Prize.jpgProtoplasmaKid, Wikimedia Commons

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The Answer 

Alice Munro. This female’s collections, such as Dance of the Happy Shades and Dear Life, masterfully take over rural Canadian experiences. Munro’s stories often contain themes of memory, identity, and the complications of human emotions.

Alice MunroAlice Munro, In Her Own Words: 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature by Nobel Prize

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Player To Legend 

An Ontario native led the Montreal Canadiens to five consecutive Stanley Cup championships in the 1950s.

File:The NHL's Stanley Cup is on Display at the State Luncheon in Honor of Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau (25588103321).jpgU.S. Department of State from United States, Wikimedia Commons

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The Answer 

Toe Blake. Born Hector Blake, he first starred as a player before coaching the Canadiens to eight championships. His record of five consecutive Stanley Cups (1956–1960) remains unmatched in NHL history.

File:ToeBlakeChex.jpgRalrton-Purina Company, maker of Chex cereals, Wikimedia Commons

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"Yeah, Baby, Yeah!" 

One of the main members of the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live.

Screenshot from the TV show Saturday Night Live 1975-NBC, Saturday Night Live 1975-

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The Answer

Mike Myers. After SCTV and Saturday Night Live, he created the Wayne's World franchise. This man’s films have grossed over $4 billion worldwide, including the Shrek series and Austin Powers trilogy.

File:Mike Myers @ Make Believe On Broadway.jpgJoella Marano from Manhattan, NY, Wikimedia Commons

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A Discovery Worth Millions Of Lives 

Identified insulin with Charles Best in 1921 and refused to profit personally from the patent.

File:Inzulín.jpgMr Hyde at Czech Wikipedia (Original text: moje foto), Wikimedia Commons

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The Answer 

Frederick Banting. His lifesaving discovery earned him the Nobel Prize at age 32, making him the youngest medicine laureate. Banting later worked on cancer research and aviation medicine.

File:Frederick Banting 2.jpgUnknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons

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Cerebral Comedy Pioneer 

He is best known for his work as one half of the comedic duo Bob and Doug McKenzie.

Rick MoranisBob & Doug McKenzie - Twist-off Tops by overdog001

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The Answer 

Dave Thomas. As a founding member of SCTV, he created unforgettable characters like Doug McKenzie in the Great White North sketches with Rick Moranis. This led to the cult movie Strange Brew.

File:Dave Thomas - elixirconf-06 (14604271270).jpgAugie De Blieck from USA, Wikimedia Commons

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The Voice Behind Superman's Nemesis 

This Toronto-born actor's vocal performance brought DC Comics' greatest villain to life in the 2000s animated series.

 DC ComicsStanislav Kondratiev, Pexels

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The Answer 

Michael Ironside. Beyond voicing Darkseid, he's appeared in over 300 film and TV roles, including Total RecallTop Gun, and Starship Troopers. Here, he played intense military characters and memorable villains.

File:Michael Ironside WOH-06.jpgMichael Koschinski, Wikimedia Commons

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A Country Music Revolution 

Overcame discrimination to record the 1964 protest album "It's My Way!" 

File:Nick Smith Country Music Singer Songwriter.jpgAns22503, Wikimedia Commons

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The Answer 

Buffy Sainte-Marie. Her career spans over 60 years with songs like "Universal Soldier" and the Oscar-winning “Up Where We Belong”. Sainte-Marie was seen regularly on Sesame Street, highlighting Indigenous culture.

File:Buffy Sainte-Marie Langesund Norway 2012.jpgBamble kommune, Wikimedia Commons

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Poet And More

Someone from Quebec published their first book of poetry, Let Us Compare Mythologies, in 1956.

cromaconceptovisualcromaconceptovisual, Pixabay

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The Answer 

Leonard Cohen. Over the years, he released many albums that blended folk music with deep philosophical themes. His most famous song, "Hallelujah," was out on the album Various Positions in 1984.

File:Leonard Cohen17b.jpgRoland Godefroy, Wikimedia Commons

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Hollywood Actor

Acquired a stake in Aviation American Gin in 2018.

File:Exterior of Aviation American Gin Distillery and Visitor Center 02.jpgMattsjc, Wikimedia Commons

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The Answer 

Ryan Reynolds. As a prominent Canadian actor and producer, his acting career took a significant turn with the release of the superhero movie Deadpool (2016), where he played the main character. 

File:RyanReynoldsApr09.jpgGrant Brummett at https://www.flickr.com/photos/grantbrummett/, Wikimedia Commons

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"One Punch Man" 

A martial artist who took training in karate at age seven to combat bullying due to his small stature.

Artem PodrezArtem Podrez, Pexels

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The Answer 

Georges St-Pierre. Known as "GSP," he's considered one of MMA's greatest fighters. After retiring in 2019, St-Pierre was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and showed up in Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

File:GeorgeStPierre.jpgRyan Mallard, Wikimedia Commons

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Physics Meets Philosophy 

This physicist was the first Canadian to grab a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1994.

JESHOOTS.comJESHOOTS.com, Pexels

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The Answer 

Bertram Brockhouse. For his separate contributions, he shared the Nobel Prize with American Clifford Shull. Apart from the Nobel Prize, Brockhouse was also made a Fellow of the Royal Society.

File:Bertram Brockhouse.jpgDarkEvil, Wikimedia Commons

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Literary Phenomenon 

A dystopian novel about women's reproductive rights by this author won the Governor General's Award.

File:Silveracademic.jpgAarono, Wikimedia Commons

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The Answer 

Margaret Atwood. The Handmaid's Tale, written by her, was adapted into an Emmy. Atwood's literary career started with her first poetry collection, Double Persephone, which was published in 1961.

File:Margaret Atwood in 2015-2.jpgFrankie Fouganthin, Wikimedia Commons

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Halifax To Hollywood 

Made their television debut in the Canadian series Pit Pony (1997).

Pit PonyCBC Pit Pony trailer by SK Archival

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The Answer 

Elliot Page. After breakthrough roles in Juno and Inception, they came out as transgender in 2020. Their advocacy work for LGBTQ+ rights has gotten them many humanitarian awards.

File:Elliot Page at TIFF 2009.jpgJosh Jensen from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Wikimedia Commons

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Literary Detective 

The former computer programmer crafted a series featuring a blind detective in 1990s Hong Kong.

luis gomesluis gomes, Pexels

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The Answer 

Ian Hamilton. Before writing, he used to be a journalist and businessman. Hamilton is recognized for his acclaimed Ava Lee series, which revolves around a Chinese-Canadian forensic accountant.

William Ian HamiltonInterview with Ian Hamilton by OakvillePublicLibrary

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Greatest Hockey Player 

Known in America as “The Great One”.

Tony SchnaglTony Schnagl, Pexels

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The Answer 

Wayne Gretzky. This player began his professional career in the World Hockey Association with the Indianapolis Racers and then the Edmonton Oilers. He quickly made a name for himself, showing off his scoring ability.

File:Wgretz.jpgThe original uploader was Hakandahlstrom at English Wikipedia. Later versions were uploaded by IrisKawling at en.wikipedia., Wikimedia Commons

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Artistic Vision

A founding member of the well-known artistic collaborative known as the Group of Seven.

File:Photograph of Group of Seven taken at a luncheon, Arts and Letters Club, Toronto (I0007864).jpgNeilAmagna, Wikimedia Commons

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The Answer 

Lawren Harris. He was born in Brantford, Ontario, into a wealthy family, which allowed him to pursue his artistic interests. This group played a critical role in establishing a Canadian style of landscape painting.

File:Lawren Harris at his studio (I0014622).jpgNeilAmagna, Wikimedia Commons

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Northern Soul 

The Canadian Music Hall of Fame inducted its first Black female inductee.

BroesisBroesis, Pixabay

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The Answer 

Deborah Cox. On being discovered by Clive Davis, she recorded "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here," which was the longest-running #1 R&B single. She soon became a part of Broadway in The Bodyguard and Aida.

File:Deborah Cox at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.jpg[TheBigBang57], Wikimedia Commons

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Architectural Visionary 

Architect and urban planner celebrated for his modernist designs that harmonize with the natural environment.

Lex PhotographyLex Photography, Pexels

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The Answer 

Arthur Erickson. He graduated in 1950 from McGill University and began his architectural work in partnership with Geoffrey Massey. Erickson's architectural portfolio includes the Museum of Anthropology at UBC (1976).

Arthur EricksonArthur Erickson by NFB 

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Singer-Songwriter

Often referred to as the “Queen of Country Pop”.

PixabayPixabay, Pexels

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The Answer

Shania Twain. Here is one of the best-selling female artists in country music history. In 2017, she released Now, her first album of original material in 15 years. Twain has reportedly sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

File:ShaniaTwainJune2011.jpgKatherine Brock, Wikimedia Commons

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Pioneering Politician

The first woman to be elected to the House of Commons in Canada.

File:Commons-chamber.jpgMakaristos, Wikimedia Commons

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The Answer

Agnes Macphail. She had a big part in advocating for women's rights and social justice, especially labor and prison reform issues. Macphail was one of the members of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation.

File:Miss Agnes McPhail, M.P 1934.jpgYousuf Karsh, Wikimedia Commons

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International Pop Singer

Believe (2012) and Purpose (2015) solidified his position in the music industry.

Wallace ChuckWallace Chuck, Pexels

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The Answer 

Justin Bieber. It all started when his mother started sharing clips of him singing on YouTube. This eventually caught the attention of talent manager Scooter Braun and got him an audition with Usher.

File:Justin Bieber -DSC 0589-10.20.12 (8107447247).jpgJoe Bielawa from MInneapolis, USA, Wikimedia Commons


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