45.5089° N, 73.5618° W

MONTREAL

Most Famous People Born in Montreal, Canada

Notable people
4,921
Peak decade
1960s
Median birth year
1948
Most distinctive
Hockey 8.4×

Bilingual, with a comic streak. Montreal's distinctive profession is hockey at more than eight times the global rate, alongside an unusually thick column of actors, filmmakers, singers, and poets — the city's notables split almost evenly between French and English in every category. Hockey is the constant, but the comedy tradition that runs from the cabarets of Saint-Laurent through the National Film Board to the Just for Laughs festival is the cultural surprise the panel can't quite carry.

Through the Decades

One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in Montreal during each.

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1960s with 594 notable births.

What Montreal Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Actor is Montreal's biggest profession — 12% of all notables (592).

Montreal over-indexes on hockey8.4× the global rate.

Montreal under-produces football — only 0.3× the global rate.

  1. Actor592
  2. Politician522
  3. Hockey492
  4. Writer245
  5. Singer193
  6. Football157
  7. Film134
  8. Lawyer116
  1. Hockey4928.4×
  2. Actor5922.3×
  3. Film1342.2×
  4. Singer1931.9×
  5. Poet941.8×
  6. Business791.6×
  7. Writer2451.5×
  1. Football1570.3×

Profession Mix Over Time

Each band shows a profession family's share of Montreal's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.

16501700175018001850190019502000
  • Sports
  • Film & TV
  • Politics & Law
  • Writing
  • Music
  • Art & Design
  • Other
All4,921
Sort By

4,921 notable people

1201 COMPOSER

Pierre F. Brault

1939 - 2014

Preview
1202 POLITICIAN

Gilbert Paquette

Born 1942

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1203 PHILOSOPHER

Lou Marinoff

Born 1951

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1204 PRODUCTEUR

Alain Simard (businessman)

Born 1950

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1205 COMPOSER

John Hawkins (Canadian composer)

1944 - 2007

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1206 POLITICIAN

Colin Kenny

Born 1943

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1207 ECONOMIST

Frederick Macaulay

1882 - 1970

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1208 OPERA

Joseph Kaiser

Born 1977

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1209 EDITOR

Derek Beaulieu

Born 1973

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1210 HOCKEY

Corrado Micalef

Born 1961

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1211 SINGER

Cindy Daniel

Born 1986

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1212 FILM

Mark Rezyka

Born 1959

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1213 ARTIST

Henriette Valium

Born 1959

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1214 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Janice Stein

Born 1943

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1215 ARTIST

Diane Obomsawin

Born 1959

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1216 WRITER

Peter Desbarats

1933 - 2014

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1217 ACTOR

Michael Zelniker

-

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1218 HOCKEY

Graham Drinkwater

1875 - 1946

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1219 DIVER

Philippe Gagné

Born 1997

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1220 HOCKEY

Guy Charron

Born 1949

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1221 CANOE

Thomas Hall (canoeist)

Born 1982

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1222 WRITER

Francine Ouellette

Born 1947

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1223 JOURNALIST

Elie Abel

1920 - 2004

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1224 MATHEMATICIAN

Jacques Hurtubise (mathematician)

Born 1957

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1225 WRITER

Sylvie Desrosiers

Born 1954

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1226 FEMINIST

Idola Saint-Jean

1879 - 1945

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1227 HOCKEY

Mark Hurtubise

Born 1984

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1228 CHESS

Pascal Charbonneau

Born 1983

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1229 JOURNALIST

Benoît Dutrizac

Born 1961

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1230 PROFESSOR

Robert Barsky

Born 1961

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1231 COMPOSER

Donald Steven

Born 1945

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1232 WRITER

Sylvain Trudel

Born 1963

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1233 ACTOR

Josh Freed

-

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1234 SCULPTOR

Henry Saxe

Born 1937

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1235 ACTOR

Harry Standjofski

Born 1959

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1236 COMPOSER

Samuel Dolin

1917 - 2002

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1237 HOCKEY

John Fust (ice hockey)

Born 1972

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1238 PHYSICIST

Jacques Distler

Born 1961

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1239 PHYSICIST

Luc Vinet

Born 1953

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1240 ATHLETIC

Frank Lukeman

1885 - 1946

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1241 DANCER

Eric Gauthier (dancer)

Born 1977

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1242 HOCKEY

Richard Sévigny

Born 1957

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1243 WRITER

Stéphane Poulin

Born 1961

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1244 ARTIST

Pierre Fournier (comics)

Born 1949

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1245 WRESTLER

SeXXXy Eddy

Born 1978

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1246 TRADE UNION

Madeleine Parent

1918 - 2012

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1247 POLITICIAN

Fernand Rinfret

1883 - 1939

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1248 POET

Albert Lozeau

1878 - 1924

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1249 CONDUCTOR

Pierre Hétu

1936 - 1998

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1250 JESUIT

Pierre Gibault

1737 - 1802

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1251 HUMOURIST

Rachid Badouri

Born 1976

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1252 FILM

Jacques Leduc

Born 1941

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1253 WEIGHTLIFTER

Marie-Ève Beauchemin-Nadeau

Born 1988

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1254 COMPOSER

Amédée Tremblay

1876 - 1949

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1255 ESSAYIST

Roland Arpin

1934 - 2010

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1256 POET

Andrée Maillet

1921 - 1995

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1257 PROFESSOR

Claude Crépeau

Born 1962

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1258 PRIEST

Paul Bruchési

1855 - 1939

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1259 HISTORIAN

Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Ferland

1805 - 1865

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1260 HOCKEY

André Boudrias

1943 - 2019

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1261 LAWYER

John Gomery

Born 1932

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1262 BIOLOGIST

Margaret Newton

1887 - 1971

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1263 ECOLOGIST

Pierre Legendre (ecologist)

Born 1946

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1264 PAINTER

Jacques de Tonnancour

1917 - 2005

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1265 PAINTER

Anne Savage (artist)

1896 - 1971

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1266 HOCKEY

Jimmy Gardner (ice hockey)

1881 - 1940

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1267 ACTOR

Claude Léveillée

1932 - 2011

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1268 WRITER

Alan Sullivan

1868 - 1947

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1269 SINGER

Claire Gagnier

Born 1924

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1270 LAWYER

Charles Doherty

1855 - 1931

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1271 POET

José Acquelin

Born 1956

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1272 HISTORIAN

Michel Brunet (historian)

1917 - 1985

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1273 ACTOR

Amelia Campbell

Born 1965

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1274 SPORT

Linda Jackson (cyclist)

Born 1958

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1275 HOCKEY

Gilles Marotte

1945 - 2005

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1276 WRITER

Nathanaël

Born 1970

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1277 POLITICIAN

Lucienne Robillard

Born 1945

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1278 PHILOSOPHER

James Robert Brown

Born 1949

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1279 JOURNALIST

Aegidius Fauteux

1876 - 1941

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1280 ACTOR

Yvette Brind'Amour

1918 - 1992

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1281 MARTIAL ART

Valérie Létourneau

Born 1983

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1282 MUSIC

Robert Marcel Lepage

Born 1951

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1283 MUSIC

François Bourassa (musician)

Born 1959

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1284 HOCKEY

Michel Parizeau

Born 1948

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1285 FILM

Benoît Pilon

Born 1962

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1286 OFFICER

Włodzimierz Steyer

1892 - 1957

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1287 EXPLORER

François-Marie Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes

1700 - 1736

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1288 DOCTOR

Jean-Baptiste Meilleur

1796 - 1878

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1289 ARTIST

Nadia Myre

Born 1974

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1290 ACADEMIC

Bernard Shapiro

Born 1935

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1291 SINGER

Pierre Gage

Born 1977

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1292 MUSIC

Brenna MacCrimmon

-

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1293 SWIMMER

Anne Jardin

Born 1959

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1294 HISTORIAN

Jean Bruchési

1901 - 1979

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1295 PENCILLER

Réal Godbout

Born 1951

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1296 POLITICIAN

Massimo Pacetti

Born 1962

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1297 CHOREOGRAPHER

Fernand Nault

1920 - 2006

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1298 LAWYER

Ronald St. John Macdonald

1928 - 2006

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1299 ACTOR

Daniela Akerblom

Born 1968

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1300 POET

Michel Beaulieu

1941 - 1985

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1301 ECONOMIST

Robert Lacroix

Born 1940

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1302 PLAYER

Bianca Farella

Born 1992

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1303 LACROSSE

Ernest Hamilton (lacrosse)

1883 - 1964

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1304 ECONOMIST

Michael D. Bordo

Born 1942

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1305 HOCKEY

Norm Dupont

Born 1957

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1306 SPORT

Catherine Garceau

Born 1978

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1307 ACTOR

Nicole Germain

1917 - 1994

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1308 HOCKEY

Ernie Russell

1883 - 1963

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1309 BASKET

Kenny Chery

Born 1992

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1310 JOURNALIST

Lysiane Gagnon

Born 1941

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1311 MUSIC

Rob Wright

Born 1954

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1312 PRESENTER

Jacques Fauteux

1933 - 2009

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1313 POET

Christian Mistral

1964 - 2020

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1314 FOOTBALL

Nick De Santis

Born 1967

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1315 SINGER

Marc Martel

Born 1976

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1316 WRITER

Raymond Barbeau

1930 - 1992

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1317 ACTOR

Vincent Graton

Born 1959

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1318 POLITICIAN

Leo Kolber

1929 - 2020

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1319 COMPOSER

Alan Belkin

Born 1951

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1320 BUSINESS

Charles-Albert Poissant

1925 - 2011

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1321 HOCKEY

Jean-François Sauvé

Born 1960

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1322 WRITER

Madeleine Monette

Born 1951

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1323 FOOTBALL

Amy Walsh (soccer)

Born 1977

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1324 POLITICAL

Serge Chapleau

Born 1945

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1325 ACTOR

Casey McKinnon

Born 1978

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1326 HOCKEY

Jonathan Racine

Born 1993

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1327 ACTOR

Joseph Griffin

Born 1963

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1328 SWIMMER

Jessica Chase

Born 1978

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1329 JOURNALIST

Andrew Cohen (journalist)

Born 1955

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1330 WRITER

Serge Mongeau

Born 1937

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1331 HOCKEY

Jean Gauthier

1937 - 2013

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1332 POET

Jean Marcel

1941 - 2019

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1333 PARLIAMENT

Anthony Housefather

Born 1970

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1334 ACTOR

Henri Poitras

1896 - 1971

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1335 COMPOSER

Robert Turner (composer)

1920 - 2012

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1336 TELEVISION

Alphonse Ouimet

1908 - 1988

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1337 WRITER

Pierre Trottier

1925 - 2010

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1338 POLITICIAN

François Aquin

1929 - 2017

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1339 SCIENTIST

Daniel J. Drucker

Born 1956

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1340 ENGINEER

Daniel Robbins (computer programmer)

-

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1341 ACTOR

Serge Turgeon

1946 - 2004

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1342 JOURNALIST

René Lecavalier

1918 - 1999

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1343 JOURNALIST

Michel Girouard

Born 1944

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1344 CONDUCTOR

Frédéric Pelletier

1870 - 1944

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1345 NOVELIST

Alain Farah

Born 1979

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1346 HOCKEY

John Gilmour (ice hockey)

Born 1993

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1347 WRITER

Perrine Leblanc

Born 1980

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1348 PHOTOGRAPHER

Alain Paiement

Born 1960

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1349 WRITER

Michel Bibaud

1782 - 1857

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1350 BUSINESS

William Watson Ogilvie

1835 - 1900

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1351 HACKER

MafiaBoy

Born 1986

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1352 FILM

Daniel Louis

Born 1953

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1353 JOURNALIST

Ariel Helwani

Born 1982

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1354 SKATER

Amélie Lacoste

Born 1988

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1355 ACTOR

James A. Woods

Born 1979

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1356 ACTOR

Jacques Desrosiers

1938 - 1996

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1357 POLITICIAN

Herbert Ames

1863 - 1954

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1358 POLITICIAN

John Lynch-Staunton

1930 - 2012

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1359 MUSIC

Denis Brott

Born 1950

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1360 CERAMIST

Claude Vermette

1930 - 2006

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1361 ECONOMIST

Paul Beaudry

Born 1960

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1362 MUSIC

Lucio Amanti

Born 1977

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1363 COMPOSER

Michel Gonneville

Born 1950

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1364 POLITICIAN

Claude Forget

Born 1936

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1365 POLITICIAN

Andrée Ferretti

Born 1935

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1366 PHYSICIAN

René Simard (health professional)

Born 1935

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1367 SWIMMER

George Vernot

1901 - 1962

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1368 ACTOR

Omar Sharif Jr.

Born 1983

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1369 POLITICIAN

Guy Joron

1940 - 2017

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1370 WRESTLER

Lumberjack Pierre

Born 1939

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1371 WRITER

Jeffrey Moore

Born 1952

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1372 ADVERTISING

Jacques Bouchard

1930 - 2006

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1373 BUSINESS

Peter Redpath

1821 - 1894

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1374 POLITICIAN

Frédéric-Auguste Quesnel

1785 - 1866

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1375 ARCHIVIST

Édouard-Zotique Massicotte

1867 - 1947

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1376 POLITICIAN

Michael Applebaum

Born 1963

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1377 FILM

Kevin Tierney

1950 - 2018

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1378 FILM

Michel Langlois

-

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1379 SINGER

Muriel Millard

1924 - 2014

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1380 FOOTBALL

L. P. Ladouceur

Born 1981

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1381 FILM

Richard Brouillette

Born 1970

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1382 POLITICIAN

Sydney Arthur Fisher

1850 - 1921

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1383 KAYAK

Lucie Guay

Born 1958

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1384 BUSINESS

André Chagnon

Born 1928

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1385 POLITICIAN

Robert Burns (Quebec politician)

1936 - 2014

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1386 WEIGHTLIFTER

Marilou Dozois-Prévost

Born 1986

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1387 ACTOR

Robin Gammell

Born 1936

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1388 LAWYER

Herbert Marx (politician)

1932 - 2020

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1389 ACTOR

David Alvarez (actor)

Born 1994

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1390 MUSIC

Pietro Amato

-

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1391 ACTOR

Benz Antoine

Born 1972

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1392 POLITICIAN

Louis Beaubien

1837 - 1915

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1393 HISTORIAN

Camille Limoges

Born 1942

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1394 POLITICIAN

George Carlyle Marler

1901 - 1981

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1395 ARCHITECT

Lucien Parent

1893 - 1956

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1396 WEIGHTLIFTER

Gerry Gratton

1927 - 1963

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1397 IMMUNOLOGIST

Samuel O. Freedman

Born 1928

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1398 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Georges Gonthier

Born 1962

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1399 POLITICIAN

Stéphane Bergeron

Born 1965

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1400 POLITICIAN

William Shaw (Quebec politician)

1932 - 2018

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1401 LAWYER

Charles Drury

1912 - 1991

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1402 DIPLOMAT

Pierre Dupuy (diplomat)

1896 - 1969

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1403 SPORT

Pierre Lacroix (ice hockey, born 1948)

Born 1948

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1404 FOOTBALL

Joe Kennaway

1905 - 1969

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1405 PHYSICIAN

Gustave Gingras

1918 - 1996

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1406 CARTOONIST

Harry Mayerovitch

1910 - 2004

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1407 OPERA

Pierre Duval (singer)

1932 - 2004

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1408 ACTOR

Justin Bradley

Born 1985

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1409 JOURNALIST

Wendy Mesley

Born 1957

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1410 CONDUCTOR

Jean Deslauriers

1909 - 1978

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1411 FENCER

Joseph Polossifakis

Born 1990

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1412 ARTIFICIAL

Daniel Crevier

Born 1947

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1413 ACTOR

Jeannie Elias

Born 1954

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1414 POLITICIAN

Monique Landry

Born 1937

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1415 LAWYER

Guy Favreau

1917 - 1967

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1416 HOCKEY

Mike Hough

Born 1963

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1417 POLITICIAN

Jean-Noël Lavoie

1927 - 2013

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1418 FILM

Beverly Shaffer

Born 1945

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1419 BUSINESS

Henry Birks

1840 - 1928

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1420 POLITICIAN

Sheila Finestone

1927 - 2009

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1421 FOOTBALL

J. P. Darche

Born 1975

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1422 CRIME

Salvatore Montagna

1971 - 2011

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1423 EDITOR

Mathieu Chantelois

Born 1973

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1424 NEUROSCIENTIST

André Barbeau

1931 - 1986

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1425 ACTOR

Sophie Faucher

Born 1958

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1426 EXPLORER

Gabriel Franchère

1786 - 1863

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1427 POLITICIAN

Judith Guichon

Born 1947

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1428 WRITER

Monique LaRue

Born 1948

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1429 PAINTER

Jori Smith

1907 - 2005

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1430 SWIMMER

Andrea Nugent

Born 1968

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1431 METALLURGIST

John Jonas

Born 1932

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1432 MODEL

Kim Cloutier

Born 1987

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1433 JOURNALIST

Arthur Buies

1840 - 1901

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1434 ACTIVIST

Hillel Neuer

Born 1969

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1435 POLITICIAN

Thomas White (Canadian politician)

1830 - 1888

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1436 BANK

Graham Towers

1897 - 1975

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1437 SKATER

Jonathan Guilmette

Born 1978

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1438 WRITER

Francine Noël

Born 1945

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1439 ACTOR

Alain Goulem

Born 1966

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1440 ARCHITECT

Harold Lea Fetherstonhaugh

1887 - 1971

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1441 HOCKEY

Steve Dubinsky

Born 1970

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1442 HOCKEY

Michel Mongeau

1965 - 2010

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1443 POLITICIAN

Jean-Pierre Côté

1926 - 2002

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1444 WRESTLER

Donald Stockton

1904 - 1978

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1445 BASKET

Tom Maayan

Born 1993

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1446 RACER

Yvon Duhamel

Born 1939

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1447 WRITER

Johanne Harrelle

1930 - 1994

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1448 ACTOR

Daniel Brière (acteur)

Born 1963

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1449 PHILOSOPHER

Vianney Décarie

1917 - 2009

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1450 PIANIST

Paul Baillargeon

Born 1944

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1451 ORGANIST

Eugène Lapierre

1899 - 1970

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1452 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

André D'Allemagne

1929 - 2001

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1453 OPERA

André Turp

1925 - 1991

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1454 POLITICIAN

Maurice Perrault

1857 - 1909

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1455 ACTOR

Marcel Sabourin

Born 1935

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1456 POLITICIAN

Denis-Benjamin Papineau

1789 - 1854

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1457 BIOLOGIST

Louis Siminovitch

Born 1920

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1458 POLITICIAN

Geoffrey Kelley

Born 1955

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1459 DIPLOMAT

John Kennett Starnes

1918 - 2014

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1460 COMEDIAN

Fannie Tremblay

1885 - 1970

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1461 BUSINESS

John Molson Jr.

1787 - 1860

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1462 POET

André Roy (writer)

Born 1944

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1463 PLAYER

Shawn Delierre

Born 1982

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1464 POLITICIAN

Marcel Léger

1930 - 1993

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1465 CONDUCTOR

Philippe Leduc

Born 1951

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1466 AUTHOR

Sabrina Ward Harrison

Born 1975

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1467 ATHLETE

Magali Tisseyre

Born 1981

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1468 JOURNALIST

Pierre Dubuc

Born 1947

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1469 HOCKEY

Normand Aubin

Born 1960

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1470 COMPOSER

J.-J. Gagnier

1885 - 1949

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1471 SPORT

Anne Samplonius

Born 1969

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1472 HOCKEY

Randy Velischek

Born 1962

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1473 NOVELIST

Christiane Duchesne

Born 1949

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1474 HOCKEY

Dan Geoffrion

Born 1958

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1475 MAGIC

David Acer

Born 1970

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1476 HISTORIAN

Micheline Dumont

Born 1935

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1477 ACADEMIC

Raymond Taras

Born 1946

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1478 PHOTOGRAPHER

John A. Hammond

1843 - 1939

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1479 LACROSSE

Angus Dillon

Born 1881

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1480 POLITICIAN

Liz McManus

Born 1947

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1481 CINEMA

Denys Desjardins

Born 1966

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1482 HOCKEY

Mario Larocque

Born 1978

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1483 ACTOR

Sébastien Rose

Born 1969

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1484 WRITER

Hélène Ouvrard

1938 - 1999

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1485 WRITER

Elise Gravel

Born 1977

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1486 FILM

Martin Duckworth

Born 1933

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1487 LAWYER

Arnold Heeney

1902 - 1970

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1488 POLITICIAN

Thomas Macnamara

1861 - 1931

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1489 JUDGE

Clément Gascon

Born 1960

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1490 SCREENWRITER

Oren Safdie

Born 1965

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1491 POLITICIAN

Charles le Moyne de Longueuil, Baron de Longueuil

1656 - 1729

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1492 ATHLETE

Sylviane Puntous

Born 1963

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1493 PHOTOGRAPHER

Stanley Lewis (sculptor)

1930 - 2006

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1494 AUTHOR

Seymour Mayne

Born 1944

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1495 LINGUIST

Jean-Claude Corbeil

Born 1932

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1496 POLITICIAN

Joe Oliver (politician)

Born 1940

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1497 POLITICIAN

Russell Copeman

Born 1960

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1498 PRESENTER

Tasha Kheiriddin

Born 1970

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1499 POET

Thérèse Renaud

1927 - 2005

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1500 NEWS PRESENTER

Bernard Derome

Born 1944

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