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.
Behind The Piano's Magic
This musical eccentric recorded Bach's Goldberg Variations in 1955 and 1981.
Elias Gottlob Haussmann, Wikimedia Commons
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.
Mike from Vancouver, Canada, Wikimedia Commons
Words That Changed Literature
Awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature.
ProtoplasmaKid, Wikimedia Commons
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 Munro, In Her Own Words: 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature by Nobel Prize
Player To Legend
An Ontario native led the Montreal Canadiens to five consecutive Stanley Cup championships in the 1950s.
U.S. Department of State from United States, Wikimedia Commons
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.
Ralrton-Purina Company, maker of Chex cereals, Wikimedia Commons
"Yeah, Baby, Yeah!"
One of the main members of the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live.
NBC, Saturday Night Live 1975-
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.
Joella Marano from Manhattan, NY, Wikimedia Commons
A Discovery Worth Millions Of Lives
Identified insulin with Charles Best in 1921 and refused to profit personally from the patent.
Mr Hyde at Czech Wikipedia (Original text: moje foto), Wikimedia Commons
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.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
Cerebral Comedy Pioneer
He is best known for his work as one half of the comedic duo Bob and Doug McKenzie.
Bob & Doug McKenzie - Twist-off Tops by overdog001
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.
Augie De Blieck from USA, Wikimedia Commons
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.
The Answer
Michael Ironside. Beyond voicing Darkseid, he's appeared in over 300 film and TV roles, including Total Recall, Top Gun, and Starship Troopers. Here, he played intense military characters and memorable villains.
Michael Koschinski, Wikimedia Commons
A Country Music Revolution
Overcame discrimination to record the 1964 protest album "It's My Way!"
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.
Bamble kommune, Wikimedia Commons
Poet And More
Someone from Quebec published their first book of poetry, Let Us Compare Mythologies, in 1956.
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.
Roland Godefroy, Wikimedia Commons
Hollywood Actor
Acquired a stake in Aviation American Gin in 2018.
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.
Grant Brummett at https://www.flickr.com/photos/grantbrummett/, Wikimedia Commons
"One Punch Man"
A martial artist who took training in karate at age seven to combat bullying due to his small stature.
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.
Ryan Mallard, Wikimedia Commons
Physics Meets Philosophy
This physicist was the first Canadian to grab a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1994.
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.
Literary Phenomenon
A dystopian novel about women's reproductive rights by this author won the Governor General's Award.
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.
Frankie Fouganthin, Wikimedia Commons
Halifax To Hollywood
Made their television debut in the Canadian series Pit Pony (1997).
CBC Pit Pony trailer by SK Archival
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.
Josh Jensen from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Wikimedia Commons
Literary Detective
The former computer programmer crafted a series featuring a blind detective in 1990s Hong Kong.
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.
Interview with Ian Hamilton by OakvillePublicLibrary
Greatest Hockey Player
Known in America as “The Great One”.
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.
Artistic Vision
A founding member of the well-known artistic collaborative known as the Group of Seven.
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.
Northern Soul
The Canadian Music Hall of Fame inducted its first Black female inductee.
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.
[TheBigBang57], Wikimedia Commons
Architectural Visionary
Architect and urban planner celebrated for his modernist designs that harmonize with the natural environment.
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).
Singer-Songwriter
Often referred to as the “Queen of Country Pop”.
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.
Katherine Brock, Wikimedia Commons
Pioneering Politician
The first woman to be elected to the House of Commons in Canada.
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.
Yousuf Karsh, Wikimedia Commons
International Pop Singer
Believe (2012) and Purpose (2015) solidified his position in the music industry.
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.
Joe Bielawa from MInneapolis, USA, Wikimedia Commons
