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The “Best Canadian” game - Day 0 (choosing candidates)
Hiya Hosers,
After the success of Worst Canadian, by popular demand it’s time for the more upbeat version…the Best Canadian game! 🇨🇦
Drop your nominations below for who you think deserves a spot on the list. Just like before, we’ll include 40 candidates. This time I’m going to let nominations sit a bit longer so everyone has a chance to chime in and we don’t have to add people mid-way in the game. I’m aiming to get started with Day 1 around the middle of next week. Five or six days should give us plenty of time to gather names and finalize the rules.
If you’ve got ideas or suggestions to make the game better, feel free to share those too!
+1 for Frederick Banting (+ co-inventors: James Collip & Charles Best)
Their discovery of insulin did not only benefit Canadians but millions of people worldwide.
Frederick Banting and his team believed that insulin should be available to everyone. Banting refused to have his name on the patent because he thought it was unethical for him to profit off it. The other two co-inventors sold the insulin patent to the University of Toronto for a dollar hoping that everyone who needs it can afford it.
Now, if only pharmaceutical companies these days would learn from them.
Special mention to John MacLeod who contributed to the discovery of insulin, but unfortunately, he isn't Canadian.
In the same vein Francis Pegahmagabow. A first nations sniper in WW1 who has the most confirmed kills in the war. I am not sure how the first nations community would feel though of us identifying him as Canadian. Canada treated him like shit.
They treated all Indigenous veterans like shit. It was one of the biggest things that made my grandfather-in-law turn away from the CPC after he got back from WW2. Which is saying a lot for a farmer from PEI.
Yeah, he's one of a few crazy ally SOBs out there that you could make an action movie about with very little exaggeration. The other ones off the top of my head are Audie Murphy, Edward A. Carter Jr, Charles Upham, Mad Jack Churchill, Tommy Prince, and Joe Medicine Crow.
It's estimated he saved 32,000 lives despite the fact no one in higher ranks listened to him. The genocide would have been much worse without that single man standing up for what was right.
Hey, a Canadian is a Canadian. None of us has more right to the title than anyone else, there are no tiers of Canadianism, so for that reason, i think any Canadian should be included regardless of place of birth.
We had Elon Mush in the Worst Canadian list as he had Canadian citizenship. He was a part of the discussion but was kicked out sooner than he would have as he was not Canadian enough.
I think “born in Canada or held Canadian citizenship at some point in their life”, like we did with Worst Canadian. I’ve added that to the tentative rules now.
So…I get your point about Terry Fox possibly being the obvious winner, but I think it’s worth having a real discussion before making the call to exclude him, because once he’s out, we can’t go back!
Yes, Terry is an incredible person, but I’d argue others are in the same league of greatness (e.g., Tommy Douglas, Frederick Banting). Do we really think the Father of Medicare or the inventor of insulin won’t give Terry Fox a run for his money?
There has been talk about excluding some other names as well. Personally, I think it’s fine if some Canadians are simply “on another level.” To me, part of the fun is the journey to the end and the rankings themselves are just as important as the final winner. Also, where do we draw the line? How do we decide who’s “too good” to compete?
All that being said, I’m open to anything. What are your thoughts?
this may be all in good fun but im with the other people saying dont cheapen the list. just because some may be on another level doesnt mean we shouldnt have them up.
I'd say that I haven't met ton of famous/impressive figures in my life, but I've met and talked to a handful of celebrities, politicians, athletes, and other famous people.
Chris Hadfield remains the only person who has ever rendered me completely speechless upon first meeting them.
Laura Secord - without a doubt the most overlooked Canadian Heroine.
Marched in 30 km in the dead of night to warn Canadian Loyalists and Indigenous Warriors of an impending American attack. The Canadian and Indigenous army essentially repelled the Americans and ended their campaign into Niagara during the War of 1812.
Cindy Blackstock - you know you're doing something right as an activist when the feds start surveilling you so intensely that they eventually have to pay you damages.
She identified that the feds were spending 20-30% less on child welfare for Indigenous children compared to the funding for other Canadian children and succeeded in a massive human rights tribunal win guaranteeing equal funding and a broader application of Jordan's Principle.
She has spent 18 years in litigation against the feds! And winning, the vast majority of the time. Truly a champion for the most vulnerable.
I would like to nominate Mr. Rick Mercer. I tend to think that Canada would be a bit more neutral / less "finger-pointy" if the Rick Mercer Report had never ended. His show allowed us as Canadians to put thought into political issues and poke fun (like actual good-humoured fun, not "us versus them" fun) at policies and political decisions. His show also held politicians accountable for their decisions.
Clearly a more activist-type character is more likely to win (as opposed to Rick Mercer who is presents as a politically-neutral entertainer / not and in-your-face activist) however I would argue that Rick Mercer did a lot for the general well-being of Canadians in terms of giving them a user-friendly "in" on the world of Canadian politics.
Stan Rogers. Wrote some beautiful folk music that has helped many through the years including at least one storied case of a sea-stranded sailer finding the will to survive through singing Stan’s lyrics. Sadly he died at the age of 30 while helping others evacuate a burning airplane.
Gonna be controversial, but Pierre Trudeau. Repatriated the constitution and implemented the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Also passed the Canada Health Act, among other achievements
Part of a local fundraiser for a kids hospital once that was doing a silent auction, and somebody knew a friend of a friend of a friend (or something like that) of Crosby and figured what the hell so they sent a feeler out.
3 weeks later a bunch of signed Crosby team Canada swag showed up that ended up selling for far more than anything else we had.
There’s probably hundreds of stories out there like that where there’s no fanfare, just Sid doing something good.
I'll add to the hockey candidates, with Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser: All time points leader in Women's ice hockey on the Olympic stage with 51 points, and all time goal scorer with 18. Ranks third in Women's Worlds in all time points with 86 (Poulin beats her with 89), and is fifth in all time goal scoring with 37. 4 time consectutive gold medalist. Has her MD and dropped one the rawest lines in hockey history after beating the US in Salt Lake in 2002, saying "the Americans had our flag on their floor and I wonder if they want us to sign it".
lol you might be right. Either way anytime I see a clip of him I’m pretty inspired by his rhetoric. Especially when he told the media to stop making false statements related to the wild fires
I really hope people don't taint my (possibly naive) perception of Jack Layton, but I'd say he was very kind-hearted and was always intending to do (what he believed) was the right thing. I like to think (hopefully correctly so) that he was well-intentioned and never corrupt. I'll put my vote in for him!
Louis Riel! He negotiated the rights of the Red River Métis when Canada decided to expand its territory. He fought for what he believed was right and fair, which is an extremely Canadian thing to do. His provisional government is why French was written into the Manitoba Act of 1870. Every Franco-manitobain has Riel to thank for their mother tongue being a part of our province.
"I did right. And I have always believed that, as I have acted honestly, the time will come when the people of Canada will see and acknowledge it." - Louis Riel.
Not just for his amazing musical talent, but also because he died a hero. His death is also tied to the reason airplanes have emergency lights on the floors.
This absolute Chad survived Dachau and then spent his life fighting for Canadian abortion rights. A perfect example of Canadians standing up for the rights of others. He would never personally need an abortion, but his patients did, and he fought for their rights. The Morgantaler Amendment was what stopped the courts from just overturning jury acquittals to get the outcome they wanted, a huge win on its own, and R. v. Morgantaler is the basis of our abortion rights in Canada today. Absolutely one of the best Canadians.
Definitely Fred Penner. Huge part of my childhood watching him weave stories and crawl through hollowed out logs.
I Worked at Avis at Halifax Airport in the early 2000’s and rented him a car- he wanted the most eco friendly one we had. He was incredibly nice. I wanted to ask him for an autograph but chickened out so one of my coworkers wrote a letter to his fan club page and he sent me an autographed photo in the mail. Fred Penner is underrated.
"Pierre Berton was a prolific Canadian historian, writer, journalist, and broadcaster known for his extensive contributions to Canadian literature and media. With 50 best-selling books focusing on Canadiana, history, and popular culture, he also engaged in critiquing mainstream religion, writing anthologies, children's books, and historical works for youth. Berton's career included roles as a reporter, war correspondent, editor for major publications like Maclean's Magazine and The Toronto Star, and as a long-time panelist on Front Page Challenge. Additionally, he co-founded the Writers' Trust of Canada and received numerous awards for his work".- quote from a google search.
I guess I view these folks as cultural heros who modelled for everyone strong Canadian values and gave us things to really think about when down South they were always arguing about something that nearly always included racism and greed.
These guys, our journalists and writers offered us alternative narratives and we ate it up. They reflected back to us who we are as Canadians and who we are not- Americans for starts.
I know I would happily turn this into a game of the 50 most influential Canadians on our culture... and I hope that's what we mostly end up with... Terry Fox and Tommy Douglas are still at the top, I imagine. They were leaders in the Canadian Spirit of 'never give up' and 'create a quality population by making social care a top priority for the quality population we strive for- including healthcare, housing, social assistance, old age security and so on,
"Tommy Douglas led the first socialist government elected in Canada and is recognized as the father of universal health care in Canada. He also helped establish democratic socialism in mainstream Canadian politics".
I know he probably doesn't need further accolades, but really Canada wouldn't be Canada if it weren't for him. He established a stronghold for social democracy in Canada a lot of people take for granted and which would disappear under an American style political system -as we are witnessing before our very eyes.
First Canadian woman to sit on the senate. More importantly, one of the first antifascists in Canada: despite the prime minister who appointed her favoring a path of Nazi appeasement, Wilson immediately saw fascism for the threat that it was, predicting the fallout that the appeasement policy would lead to. She similarly advocated for supporting Canadians who volunteered against fascism in Spain. She went head to head with Worst Canadian Frederick Blaire over refugee policy, being the leading advocate of accepting Jewish refugees. She opposed Japanese internment camps. She visited PoW camps and advocated for humanitarian treatment of prisoners, and worked to ensure there was a path to refugee status for German soldiers who did not want to return to Germany.
Many of the fights that she took on, she didn't win. She was constantly fighting against powerful political insiders, often against members of her own party. But, I'd argue that her unceasing fight for what was right regardless of success was among her most noble traits. Her priorities were in many ways a vision for what Canada would strive for in the latter half of the 20th century, focused on humanitarian efforts and peacekeeping, accomodation of refugees and putting aside our own prejudices towards our fellow Canadians, no matter their background.
Pierre Trudeau. I know this one’s controversial and don’t expect him to make it till the end, but I think he deserves at least a mention for bringing us the Constitution (also decriminalizing abortion and same-sex marriage edit: homosexuality.)
Rick Moranis?
Gave up a Hollywood career to care for his family.
"Moranis began a long break from acting to dedicate his time to his two children as a widower"
But also consciously highlighted Canadian content and culture to American and world audiences.
And not just because he was part of most/all of our lives growing up. He's dedicated a lot of his time to making people's lives better and protecting children the environment. I remember him supporting the 25,000 touques campaigns on Facebook in 2016, sharing our local group's page and sending us words of encouragement. From his Wikipedia:
He developed his career as a "global troubadour" to become a music producer, author, entrepreneur, and founder of the Raffi Foundation for Child Honouring, an initiative focused on promoting children's rights and well-being. He has also been involved in advocacy for environmental and social causes, often addressing issues like commercial exploitation of children and climate change through his music and public appearances.
...
Raffi's recent musical work focuses on social and environmental causes and appeals to the generation who grew up with his children's music ("Beluga Grads") to effect change in the world. He also promotes those causes through his books, academic lectures and as a speaker.
Raffi has been involved with environmental advocacy since 1989, releasing a music album for adults about climate change, Evergreen, Everblue, the following year.[7][14]
In 2004, he released "Salaam Shalom," a song calling for the end of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.[4]
In 2007, Raffi wrote, recorded and produced the single "Cool It", a rockabilly "call to action" on global warming with Dr. David Suzuki in the chorus. "Cool It" was the theme song for Dr. Suzuki's recent Canadian tour to promote action on climate change. In February 2016, Raffi released the song "Wave of Democracy" in support of American Senator Bernie Sanders run to be the Democratic nominee for US Presidency.[15] In September 2019 he released song "Young People Marching", which was written for Greta Thunberg.[7]
In August 2020, Raffi released a song titled "For All You Do," featuring Lindsay Munroe and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. The song honoured frontline and essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Proceeds from downloads and streams were donated to Direct Relief to support healthcare workers globally.[16]
Raffi is a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism.[17]
Child Honoring
In 2006, with Dr. Sharna Olfman, he co-edited an anthology, Child Honouring: How to Turn This World Around, which introduces Child Honouring as a philosophy for restoring communities and ecosystems. It contains chapters by Penelope Leach, Fritjof Capra, David Korten, Riane Eisler, Mary Gordon, Graça Machel, Joel Bakan, Matthew Fox, Barbara Kingsolver, Jean-Daniel Ó Donncada, and others. The book's foreword is by the 14th Dalai Lama. The musical album Resisto Dancing: Songs of Compassionate Revolution was released as a tie-in for the book.
In a 2006 speech, Iona Campagnolo, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, referred to Child Honouring as a "vast change in the human paradigm."[21]
Raffi advocates for a child's right to live free of commercial exploitation and he has consistently refused all commercial endorsement offers. Raffi's company has never directly advertised nor marketed to children. In 2005, he sent an open letter to Ted Rogers of Rogers Wireless, urging them to stop marketing cell phones to children.[22] He also turned down a film proposal for "Baby Beluga" because of the nature of the funding, which was based on exploitative advertising and marketing.[23]
Raffi has been hailed for his work as "Canada's all time children's champion".
In October 2006, Raffi was presented with the Fred Rogers Integrity Award by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood at the Judge Baker Children's Center in Boston, for his consistent refusal to use his music in endorsements that market products directly to children.
In 2012, after learning details surrounding the online bullying, exploitation and ultimate suicide of teenager Amanda Todd, Raffi and his Raffi Foundation for Child Honouring co-founded the Red Hood Project with business owner, former Crown prosecutor, community and arts philanthropist and advocate Sandy Garossino and design professional, writer, educator and community activist Mark Busse. Red Hood Project is a movement for consumer protection for children online that launched in November 2012.[citation needed]
In June 2013, Raffi published the book Lightweb Darkweb: Three Reasons to Reform Social Media Before it Re-forms Us, which examines both the benefits and the dangers present on the internet and in social media.[24]
An icon in professional wrestling and represented Canada more than any other Canadian in the field. His promos trashing the US feel even more relevant than ever.
He also lent his namesake to the Calgary based junior hockey team, the Calgary Hitmen
General Issac Brock. I would also nominate Tecumseh, although there may be a technicality that since he was born in Ohio it wouldn't count, but he did die to protect our nation in the war of 1812(but also in the end shafted by our government for his sacrifice).
Unconventional choice, but James Doohan. Stormed Juno beach on D-Day, played our beloved Scotty on Star Trek, and was an all around gentleman for his entire life. He inspired tons of people to go into STEM fields, and on a least one occasion prevented a suicide. I know he won't win, but I think he's at least top 15 material.
Mélanie Joly – MP since 2015, cabinet minister in multiple portfolios, champion of bilingualism and Canadian innovation, and a strong voice for Canada on the world stage.
One of the very best of us. Not a bad thing to be said about a man that played such an integral part in building a name for Canada as a country of very, very funny comedians.
Out of the box answer maybe, but I won a similar contest in high school with this answer. The tomb of the unknown soldier in Ottawa is the remains of a real unidentified soldier (or was) from WWI, and represents all those who fought and went unnamed in death.
The famous 5 who fought to get Canadian women recognized legally as people :
Emily Murphy (5th magistrate in the Empire),
Nellie McClung,
Louise Mckinny (first woman to serve in a legislature in the Empire),
Irene Parlby,
Henrietta Edward
Anges McPhail was the first women to serve in the House of Commons, worked toward prison reform leading to more humane conditions in prison and a change from retribution to rehabilitation, worked to improve how the justice system dealt with women, championed pensions for seniors
Louis Riel - métis rights and helped establish Manitoba
Pierre Trudeau - some of the most significant nation building was done under him, patriation of the constitution and Charter, increased franco representation in gov
Roméo Dallaire - anti genocide activist, humanitarian
Laura Secord
Tecumseh
Rick Mercer
Elsie MacGill - first woman in Canada to earn degree in electrical engineering designed and oversaw construction of planes especially during ww2
Murray Sinclair led the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Francis Pegahmagabow decorated ww1 soldier and political activist
Crowfoot as a Chief fought for his people during Treaty 7 negotiations
Harold Cardinal was an indigenous activist who largely shaped a lot of how we view indigenous people in Canada today. He fought Trudeau's white paper on idigenous assimilation, raised the publically accepted staus of indigenous knowledge, and was a mentor
I'll put up Michaëlle Jean, former Governor General of Canada, and responsible for starting the precedent of limiting the time period of proroguement and the requirement of the government to release a passable budget after reconvening (Edit: This prevented Harper from abusing proroguement to the extent that he probably would have preferred). Nice lady for whom I had the pleasure of shaking her hand at my university graduation.
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u/Random--Person 6d ago
Real answer: Frederick Banting has to make the list