# Who is the Greatest Canadian? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 24, 2002, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719 "2002-10-24T17:56:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719/21 "2002-10-25T15:14:46Z")
If I had to vote for one person, I’d probably vote for Lester Pearson. But that’s an off-the-top-of-my-head response. [slight hijack] A friend of mine once had the following conversation while checking in at a U.S. airport for a flight to Pearson International Airport in Toronto: Check-in clerk: “Boy, they sure pick the weirdest names for airports. Who’s Lester B. Pearson, anyway?” My friend: “Well, he’s a former Prime Minister of Canada, he was Canada’s first ambassador to the United States, he played an active role in the organization of the United Nations, he won a Nobel Peace Prize, and he designed the Canadian flag. But I know exactly what you mean; I mean, who’s this ‘John F. Kennedy’ person?” Check-in clerk: “…” [/slight hijack] ---
**Author:** ![hockeynut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@hockeynut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hockeynut)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719/22 "2002-10-25T15:45:08Z")
Guy LaFleur… Oh, I thought you wanted the greatest Canadien. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719/23 "2002-10-25T16:13:58Z")
[Paul Schaffer!](http://www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/show_info/bios/ls_show_info_bios_pshaffer) ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719/24 "2002-10-25T16:57:17Z")
Nobody has mentioned Donavan Bailey, the Olympic gold medalist, Billy Bishop, the fighter ace, and the founder of ATI. ---
**Author:** ![skot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@skot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skot)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719/25 "2002-10-25T17:05:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hockeynut \* > \*\*Guy LaFleur… > > Oh, I thought you wanted the greatest Canadien. \*\* Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you misspelled **Maurice Richard** … ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719/26 "2002-10-25T17:37:50Z")
Can I come out and slag David Suzuki for being a biased idiot? Or is that uncanadian? I like Norm Bethune, but maybe that’s just because I used to live near his statue at Guy and de Maisonneuve. And don’t forget Jaymz Bee, Mr. Dressup (Ernie Coombs-- even if we was born in the US), and the Friendly Giant (Ben Homme). Also Gordon Dickson, and I’ll second the nomination for William Shatner. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719/27 "2002-10-25T17:40:29Z")
Billy Bishop founded ATI? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719/28 "2002-10-25T19:38:27Z")
I thought of Bishop and Bailey. I eliminated Bailey because A) You can’t possibly argue he’s in the top ten, and B) You can’t even reasonably argue he’s one of the top ten ATHLETES, considering we’ve had other gold medal winners, too. I mean, what about Gaetan Boucher? Marnie McBean? Sale and Pelletier? The triathlon guy? Billy Bishop’s a tough case. I think most historians agree that his official kill total of 72 is, ah, quite exaggerated, and there is scant evidence that the raid he won the VC for ever actually happened. But liar or not, he remains a huge part of Canadian myth. I should have included Currie. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719/29 "2002-10-25T22:06:45Z")
> [@](#): > > considering we’ve had other gold medal winners OTOH, Bailey held one of the highest profile world records (100m sprint). > [@](#): > > The triathlon guy? Did you mean Michael Smith, the decathelete? ---
**Author:** ![Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c67d28/32.png) [@Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weird_AL_Einstein)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719/30 "2002-10-25T23:39:30Z")
I nominate William Shatner and James Doohan, because I am a Trekkie, Pamela Anderson because I am a heterosexual male, and Gordon Sinclair, because I am an American. Oh yeah, and Colin Mochrie, because he makes me laugh on _Whose Line_. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2002, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719/31 "2002-10-26T15:24:00Z")
Ryan Stiles is also (arguably) Canadian, I must point out. Born of Canadian parents in Seattle, his family moved to Vancouver when Ryan was 10. He has identified himself as a Canadian on _Whose Line_, though in all likelihood he has (or had) dual-citizenship and currently resides in Washington state. ---
**Author:** ![corvidae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@corvidae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corvidae)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719/32 "2002-10-27T01:30:18Z")
Catriona Le May Doan is a pretty darn good athlete, too. There’s also that speedskater guy (can’t remember his name) who took home a few medals this last winter olympics. I think my personal favorite (today, anyway) is Terry Fox. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719/33 "2002-10-27T01:51:34Z")
I’m going to have to say my French teacher, Madame Litch (who is from Montreal) just because she is Madame Litch. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719/34 "2002-10-27T06:34:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sunspace \* > Billy Bishop founded ATI? No, sorry, bad English. I meant the founder of ATI should be included as one of the top ten. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719/35 "2002-10-27T15:52:26Z")
What? Not Alanis Morrisette? Not Anne Murray? Not Hank Snow? Not Michael J. Fox? Not even the sainted Celine Dion? Plus, I thought you guys started labeling Donovan Bailey “a Jamaican immigrant” when the steroid thing came out. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719/36 "2002-10-27T15:54:56Z")
Never mind the last; I was thinking of Ben Johnson. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719/37 "2002-10-27T17:11:54Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. Mordecai Richler > Canada’s greatest literary figure by a margin of about a hundred percent. Ewww. And props to the OP for J.R. Saul! ---
**Author:** ![PatrickM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7feea3/32.png) [@PatrickM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickM)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719/38 "2002-10-27T20:14:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sköt \* > \*\* > Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you misspelled **Maurice Richard** … \*\* 🙂 🙂 🙂 But if hockey players belong on the list, then we’d better put Gordie Howe on there somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Lorenzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4da419/32.png) [@Lorenzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorenzo)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719/39 "2002-10-27T21:51:21Z")
Mike Meyers belongs, but not in the hundred. Maybe top thousand. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719/40 "2002-10-28T16:56:13Z")
Herbert W. McBride And I’ll buy a beer for anyone who’s heard of him… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-canadian/133719.md?page=3)