45.4232° N, 75.6926° W

OTTAWA

Most Famous People Born in Ottawa, Canada

Notable people
1,174
Peak decade
1970s
Median birth year
1951
Most distinctive
Curler 23.1×

Less a national capital than the place Canada uses to manufacture winter athletes — the Curler bench runs at better than twenty-three times the global baseline, which is extreme even by Canadian standards, and the broom-and-blade pipeline goes deeper than the Parliament Hill day jobs. A disproportionate Skater count and a catch-all Sport bump fill in everything the Rideau Canal has frozen into Olympians over the decades.

Through the Decades

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

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1970s with 146 notable births.

What Ottawa Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Hockey is Ottawa's biggest profession — 21% of all notables (248).

Ottawa over-indexes on curler23.1× the global rate.

Ottawa under-produces football — only 0.5× the global rate.

  1. Hockey248
  2. Politician119
  3. Actor89
  4. Football68
  5. Sport39
  6. Writer35
  7. Lawyer29
  8. Singer28
  1. Curler1623.1×
  2. Hockey24817.8×
  3. Skater196.7×
  4. Sport392.0×
  5. Film231.6×
  1. Football680.5×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

18251850187519001925195019752000
  • Sports
  • Politics & Law
  • Film & TV
  • Music
  • Writing
  • Science
  • Other
All1,174
Sort By

1,174 notable people

0901 POLITICIAN

Lorry Greenberg

1933 - 1999

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0902 CANOE

Angus Mortimer

Born 1985

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0903 POLICE

Charles Bordeleau

-

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0904 FOOTBALL

Eric Upton

Born 1953

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0905 POLITICIAN

Horace Racine

1905 - 1986

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0906 POLITICIAN

Patrick Michael Dewan

1890 - 1988

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0907 MILITAR

Desmond Smith (general)

1911 - 1991

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0908 POLITICIAN

Jan Harder

Born 1951

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0909 HOCKEY

Hub Wilson

1909 - 1999

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0910 POLITICIAN

Marianne Wilkinson

-

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0911 FOOTBALL

Jeff Pilon

Born 1976

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0912 PRIEST

Tony Burton (bishop)

Born 1959

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0913 SPORT

Suddy Gilmour

1884 - 1932

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0914 KICKBOXER

James Benjamin Stewart

Born 1978

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0915 MEDICAL

Connie Eaves

Born 1944

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0916 FOOTBALL

Ettore Lattanzio

Born 1990

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0917 HOCKEY

Halder Kirby

1863 - 1924

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0918 HOCKEY

Guy Smith (ice hockey, born 1950)

Born 1950

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0919 FOOTBALL

Raymond Fontaine

Born 1980

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0920 LAWYER

Hugh Poulin

1931 - 2018

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0921 CURLER

Andrea Sinclair

Born 1993

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0922 HOCKEY

Pete Leichnitz

1926 - 2011

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0923 HOCKEY

Leonard Grosvenor

1905 - 1981

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0924 POLITICAL

Shawn Little

1964 - 2012

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0925 HOCKEY

Gerry Methe

Born 1951

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0926 HOCKEY

Ted Snell

Born 1946

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0927 PHOTOGRAPHER

Jonathan Hobin

Born 1979

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0928 RADIO

Mike Ross (radio host)

Born 1973

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0929 HOCKEY

Gary Laskoski

Born 1959

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0930 FOOTBALL

Peter Crepin

Born 1952

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0931 DIPLOMAT

Ian Verner Macdonald

Born 1925

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0932 ENVIRONMENTALIST

Percy Sparks

1880 - 1959

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0933 PROFESSOR

Jack N. Lightstone

Born 1951

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0934 FOOTBALL

William Rogers (Canadian football)

Born 1928

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0935 POLITICIAN

Irwin Haskett

1903 - 1994

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0936 POLITICIAN

Jules Morin

1914 - 1988

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0937 SCREENWRITER

Renny Bartlett

-

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0938 SWIMMER

Ken Fitzpatrick

Born 1963

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0939 FOOTBALL

Ian Beckstead

Born 1957

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0940 HOCKEY

Lou Bates

1912 - 1987

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0941 PUPPETEER

Noreen Young

Born 1952

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0942 LUGER

D'Arcy Coulson

1936 - 2020

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0943 CITY COUNCIL

Mathieu Fleury

Born 1985

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0944 FOOTBALL

Scott Gordon (Canadian football)

Born 1977

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0945 HOCKEY

Albert Morel

1873 - 1949

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0946 POLITICIAN

Jeremy Roberts (politician)

Born 1991

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0947 SKATER

Joshua McGrath

Born 1985

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0948 FOOTBALL

Tom Schultz (Canadian football)

Born 1947

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0949 HOCKEY

Harry Helman

1894 - 1971

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0950 TEACHER

Sally Cockburn

Born 1960

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0951 SWIMMER

Cheryl McArton

Born 1966

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0952 POLICE

Marie Owens

1853 - 1927

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0953 FOOTBALL

Terry Black (Canadian football)

Born 1947

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0954 JUDO

Walter Argentin

Born 1961

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0955 CITY COUNCIL

Stephen Blais

Born 1980

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0956 POLITICIAN

Gordon Lavergne

1910 - 1970

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0957 HOCKEY

Roger Leger

1919 - 1965

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0958 BROTHER

Ken Whillans

Born 1927

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0959 POLITICIAN

Allister Johnston

1908 - 2005

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0960 HOCKEY

Ryan-James Hand

Born 1985

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0961 ACTOR

J. R. Tremblay

1883 - 1959

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0962 UNITED NATION

Leilani Farha

-

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0963 FOOTBALL

Val St. Germain

Born 1971

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0964 HOCKEY

Gordie Bruce

1919 - 1997

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0965 POLITICIAN

James Buckham Kennedy

1844 - 1930

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0966 LAWYER

Gordon Henderson (lawyer)

1912 - 1993

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0967 ACTOR

Peter Cureton

1965 - 1994

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0968 JOURNALIST

Ike Awgu

Born 1983

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0969 LAWYER

Pierre Benoit (Ontario politician)

Born 1939

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0970 CITY COUNCIL

Tim Tierney

Born 1974

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0971 ROWER

Bev Cameron

Born 1953

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0972 FOOTBALL

Bruce Cummings

Born 1927

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0973 FOOTBALL

Barry Ardern

Born 1946

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0974 HOCKEY

Kyle Wharton

Born 1986

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0975 ARTIST

Catherine Richards

Born 1950

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0976 FOOTBALL

Cameron Legault

Born 1974

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0977 HOCKEY

Wally Maxwell

Born 1933

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0978 PEACEKEEPING

Rick Findley

Born 1950

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0979 FOOTBALL

John Delahunt

Born 1987

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0980 FOOTBALL

Adrian LeRoy

Born 1987

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0981 MUSIC

Peter Kiesewalter

-

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0982 SPORT

Alex Healy (racing driver)

Born 1989

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0983 POLITICIAN

Charles Lamarche

1850 - 1909

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0984 FOOTBALL

Kevin Scott (Canadian football)

Born 1983

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0985 SPORT

William Hare (sport shooter)

1935 - 2005

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0986 FOOTBALL

Rick Black

Born 1943

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0987 LAWYER

Leo Landreville

1910 - 1996

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0988 NAVY

Andrew Fulton (Canadian admiral)

Born 1927

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0989 HOCKEY

Todd Flichel

Born 1964

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0990 BALLERINA

Patricia Wilde

Born 1928

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0991 COMMISSIONER

John W. Grace

1927 - 2009

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0992 WRESTLER

Ilya Abelev

Born 1992

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0993 SWIMMER

Robert Baird (swimmer)

Born 1973

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0994 HOCKEY

Alex Currie

1891 - 1951

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0995 CITY COUNCIL

Jeff Leiper

-

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0996 GOVERNOR

Douglas Bradshaw

1912 - 1996

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0997 HOCKEY

Jack Mackell

1896 - 1961

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0998 FOOTBALL

Justin Phillips (Canadian football)

Born 1985

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0999 ACTOR

Alison Smyth

Born 1982

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1000 ACADEMIC

Terry White (academic)

Born 1943

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1001 FOOTBALL

Darren Joseph

Born 1968

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1002 TEACHER

Martin Breaugh

-

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1003 POLITICIAN

Romeo Bégin

Born 1895

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1004 SPORT

Weldy Young

1871 - 1944

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1005 FOOTBALL

Mike Sutherland

Born 1971

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1006 FOOTBALL

Monti Mohsen

Born 2000

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1007 ARCHITECT

Harley Swedler

Born 1962

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1008 COMMANDER

Gilles Couturier

-

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1009 ROWER

Gabriel Beaudry

1927 - 2009

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1010 POLITICIAN

Nancy Bell

1924 - 1989

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1011 FOOTBALL

Jake Dunlap

1925 - 2010

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1012 ARTIST

Dana Inkster

-

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1013 EDUCATOR

Thomas Ide

1919 - 1996

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1014 FOOTBALL

Gary Chown

Born 1951

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1015 LAWYER

Kenneth Hubert Fogarty

1923 - 1989

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1016 POLITICIAN

Joseph Daniel Nault

1888 - 1954

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1017 POLITICIAN

Eric McArthur

Born 1824

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1018 SPORT

Dave Gilmour (ice hockey, born 1881)

1882 - 1932

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1019 WRITER

Graham Kay

Born 1981

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1020 FOOTBALL

Carroll Bloom

Born 1928

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1021 FOOTBALL

Benny MacDonnell

Born 1930

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1022 OFFICER

Edward Robert Sellstrom

1916 - 1942

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1023 ROWER

Vicki Harber

Born 1956

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1024 ACADEMIC

William Halperin

Born 1945

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1025 POLITICIAN

Eugène Bellemare

1932 - 2018

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1026 PRESENTER

Max Valiquette

Born 1973

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1027 FOOTBALL

Scott Mitchell (offensive lineman)

Born 1989

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1028 FOOTBALL

Jimmy Abson

1920 - 2008

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1029 HOCKEY

Lloyd Jackson (ice hockey)

1912 - 1999

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1030 SCHOLAR

Joseph Philip Robert Murray

Born 1943

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1031 POLITICIAN

E. A. Bourque

1887 - 1962

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1032 FENCER

Lehel Fekete

Born 1957

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1033 POLITICIAN

Patrick Nolan (politician)

1881 - 1941

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1034 SPRINT

Joan Fisher

Born 1949

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1035 LAWYER

Salter Hayden

1896 - 1987

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1036 FOOTBALL

Steven Glenn

Born 1971

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1037 HOCKEY

Rod Lorrain

1914 - 1980

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1038 HOCKEY

Oscar Sabourin

1897 - 1937

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1039 HOCKEY

Connie Tudin

1917 - 1988

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1040 HOCKEY

Doug Lewis (ice hockey)

1921 - 1994

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1041 POLITICIAN

Norman Warner

1943 - 2014

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1042 SURVEYOR

William J. Stewart (hydrographic surveyor)

1891 - 1925

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1043 POLITICIAN

Frank H. Whiteside

1873 - 1916

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1044 ATHLETE

Alicia Hurley

Born 1988

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1045 SPORT

James Zavitz

1922 - 2017

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1046 POLITICIAN

Michel Bellemare

Born 1967

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1047 LAWYER

Arthur Ellis (politician)

1890 - 1964

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1048 LAWYER

Bob Jarvis

Born 1936

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1049 HOCKEY

Bonner Larose

1901 - 1961

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1050 POLITICIAN

Samuel Bingham

1845 - 1905

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1051 SPORT

Thomas Elmitt

1871 - 1938

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1052 PHYSICIAN

Malcolm Ross Bow

1887 - 1982

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1053 POET

Michel A. Thérien

Born 1947

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1054 ACTOR

David J. MacNeil

Born 1970

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1055 PRIEST

Lorenzo Rodolfo Guibord Lévesque

1923 - 2007

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1056 LINGUIST

Pierrette Vachon-L’Heureux

-

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1057 POLITICIAN

Wendy Stewart

-

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1058 HOCKEY

Matt Armstrong

Born 1982

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1059 ECOLOGIST

Erin Roger

-

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1060 FENCER

Kelleigh Ryan

Born 1987

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1061 HOCKEY

Jeff Capello

Born 1964

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1062 LAWYER

Stéphane Émard-Chabot

-

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1063 FOOTBALL

Pat Fleming (Canadian football)

Born 1978

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1064 MAGIC

Michael Bourada

Born 1983

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1065 WRITER

Ben Ladouceur

Born 1987

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1066 EXECUTIVE

Nadine Gelineau

1959 - 2016

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1067 TEACHER

Francis Leddy

1911 - 1998

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1068 PRODUCER

Paul Blissett

Born 1945

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1069 SPORT

Greg Reain

Born 1977

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1070 MISSING

William Kirby Lye

1918 - 2009

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1071 LAWYER

William Lorne Northmore Somerville

1921 - 2009

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1072 POLITICIAN

John P. Balharrie

1883 - 1952

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1073 MISSING

William O’Neil

Born 1927

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1074 HOCKEY

Rob Guinn

1976 - 2008

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1075 SPORT

Jim Buchanan (athlete)

Born 1955

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1076 HOCKEY

Jack Brannen

1874 - 1964

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1077 SPORT

Ingrid Liepa

Born 1966

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1078 LAWYER

Jean-Thomas Richard

1907 - 1991

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1079 PLAYER

François Viens

Born 1975

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1080 HOCKEY

Jack McGill (ice hockey, born 1909)

1909 - 1988

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1081 RACER

Nick May

Born 1988

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1082 POLITICIAN

Robert Stewart (Canadian politician)

1850 - 1925

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1083 LAWYER

Louis Audette

1907 - 1995

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1084 LITERARY

Arnold Gosewich

Died 2019

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1085 FOOTBALL

Erik Galas

Born 1986

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1086 CERAMIC

Paula Murray

Born 1958

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1087 FOOTBALL

John Edwards (Canadian football)

1912 - 2005

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1088 ARTIST

Lyse Lemieux (artist)

Born 1956

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1089 POLITICIAN

Paul Tardif

1910 - 1998

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1090 PLAYER

Robin Clarke (Squashspieler)

Born 1986

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1091 POLITICIAN

William Borthwick (mayor)

1848 - 1928

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1092 POLITICIAN

Henry Watters

1853 - 1924

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1093 JOURNALIST

Georgette Lamoureux

1910 - 1995

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1094 MISSING

Percy Sherwood (police officer)

1854 - 1940

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1095 BUSINESS

Wilbert Hopper

1933 - 2006

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1096 CARTOONIST

Barry Bradfield

Born 1981

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1097 FOOTBALL

Paul Desjardins

Born 1943

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1098 POLITICIAN

Alex Taylor (businessman)

1853 - 1916

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1099 CURLER

Nancy McConnery

Born 1963

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1100 SPORT

Chauncey Kirby

1871 - 1950

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1101 POLITICIAN

Charles Taschereau Beard

1890 - 1948

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1102 SPORT

Joey Kilburn

Born 1949

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1103 SPORT

George Walker (wrestler)

-

Preview
1104 HOCKEY

Fred Chittick

1868 - 1917

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1105 CURLER

Chantal Osborne

Born 1966

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1106 SPORT

Julie Steggall

Born 1971

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1107 SPORT

William Dunn (bobsleigh)

Born 1949

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1108 AVIATOR

Erskine Leigh Capreol

1898 - 1963

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1109 LAWYER

William Garland McQuarrie

1876 - 1943

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1110 ACADEMIC

Charles Burton (universitaire)

Born 1955

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1111 KATHOLISCHER

Henri Belleau

1896 - 1976

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1112 ROWER

Fred Graves (rower)

1924 - 2009

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1113 NURSE

Evelyn Pepper

1905 - 1998

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1114 SPORT

Jack Kerr (ice hockey)

1863 - 1933

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1115 JUDO

Tony Walby

Born 1973

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1116 POLITICIAN

Robert A. Hastey

1847 - 1930

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1117 PRIEST

Fraser Berry

1926 - 2011

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1118 SKIER

David Douglas

1907 - 1977

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1119 POLITICIAN

John Léo Chabot

1869 - 1936

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1120 MUSIC

Nisha Kataria

Born 1986

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1121 SKIER

Merritt Putman

1900 - 1995

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1122 SPORT

Mickey O'Leary

1882 - 1954

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1123 POLITICIAN

Bud Orange

1926 - 2007

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1124 SKIER

John Currie

1910 - 1989

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1125 PIANIST

François Dubé

-

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1126 IDROTTARE

Howard Bagguley

Born 1909

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1127 HOCKEY

Archie Atkinson

1886 - 1968

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1128 MINERALOGIST

Harold Robert Steacy

1923 - 2012

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1129 COLLECTOR

Henrietta Constantine

1857 - 1934

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1130 POLITICIAN

Charles Cathmer Ross

1884 - 1938

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1131 POLITICIAN

Samuel Allen Carson

1870 - 1949

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1132 HOCKEY

Thomas Westwick

1887 - 1963

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1133 INDUSTRIAL

Bing Coughlin

1905 - 2000

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1134 LAWYER

Edgar-Rodolphe-Eugène Chevrier

1887 - 1956

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1135 POLITICIAN

Shawn Menard

Born 1982

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1136 POLITICIAN

Thomas George Wallace

1879 - 1921

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1137 POLITICIAN

Horace Chevrier

1876 - 1935

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1138 MOUNTAINEER

Andrew Taylor (Bergsteiger)

1875 - 1945

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1139 HOCKEY

Dave Finnie

1883 - 1967

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1140 POLITICIAN

William Harvey Clare

1874 - 1956

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1141 HOCKEY

Angus Duford

1891 - 1950

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1142 POLITICIAN

John David Baskerville

1857 - 1926

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1143 HOCKEY

Alex Goupil

Born 1983

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1144 HOCKEY

Mickey Gilchrist

Born 1984

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1145 SPORT

Reginald Bradley

1873 - 1922

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1146 POLITICIAN

William McArdle

1848 - 1908

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1147 CRÉATEUR

Rhéa Larose

1899 - 1979

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1148 POLITICIAN

George Charles Hurdman

1870 - 1936

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1149 HOCKEY

Marie-France Morin

-

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1150 POLITICIAN

William Craig (Canadian politician)

1828 - 1897

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1151 PLAYER

Shainah Joseph

Born 1995

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1152 POLITICIAN

Aurèle Chartrand

1903 - 1975

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1153 MILITAR

John T. Dunlap

Born 1957

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1154 POLITICIAN

May Nickson

1918 - 2010

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1155 BASKET

Brian Upson

1931 - 1982

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1156 SPORT

Joe Dennison

1888 - 1958

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1157 SPORT

Judy Zelman

1967 - 2007

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1158 MOUNTAINEER

Fred Lambart

1880 - 1946

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1159 POLITICIAN

Roger Kimmerly

Born 1948

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1160 COUNCILLOR

Matthew Luloff

Born 1980

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1161 SCOUT

E. Bower Carty

1916 - 2001

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1162 POLITICIAN

Ralph Cowan (politician)

1902 - 1990

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1163 MISSING

Jonathon Millar

Born 1974

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1164 ATHLETE

Alexandre Dumond

-

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1165 POLITICIAN

William Sutherland (Northwest Territories politician)

1854 - 1930

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1166 BOTSCHAFTER

Vernon George Turner

Born 1926

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1167 HOCKEY

Gordon Shore

1887 - 1964

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1168 HOCKEY

Charlie McCarthy (ice hockey)

1889 - 1969

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1169 BASKET

Jean Emmanuel Pierre-Charles

Born 1993

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1170 DIPLOMAT

Donald P. McLennan

Born 1940

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1171 HOCKEY

Ras Murphy

1886 - 1975

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1172 HOCKEY

Ed Nagle

1893 - 1966

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1173 GEIGE

Dean Franke

-

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1174 BOXER

Joey Sandulo

1931 - 2019

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