Activity: Seeing Stars

Student Sheet

SHEET 5: GREAT CANADIANS

The Canadian Museum of Civilization has created an exhibition about influential and important Canadians. From the list below, choose five that you think best represent "great Canadians".

• Brother André (1845–1937) — Religious Brother. Founded Saint Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal: one of the world’s great Catholic sanctuaries.

• Mary Brant (ca. 1736–1796) and Joseph Brant (1742/43–1807) — Aboriginal leaders. Played a major political and diplomatic role between the Iroquois people and the British military during the War of American Independence.

• Pierre Bourgault (1934–2003) — Communicator. A colourful non-conformist and co-founder of, and spokesman for, the Rassemblement pour l’indépendance nationale.

• Samuel de Champlain (ca. 1570–1635) — explorer and administrator. Founded the city of Quebec: the first permanent European settlement in Canada, and one of the oldest in the Americas.

• Alphonse Desjardins (1854–1920) — Founder of the caisses populaires. Founded the credit union system in North America: an alternative to big banks.

• Tommy Douglas (1904–1986) — Premier of Saskatchewan and Leader of the New Democratic Party; pioneer of many innovative social programs, most notably universal healthcare.

• Timothy Eaton (1834–1907) — retailer. Founded the Eaton’s department stores: a chain that merchandised coast-to-coast through catalogue sales.

• James B. Harkin (1875–1955) — public servant. Architect of the National Parks system in Canada (and its first commissioner), who used his energy to preserve and protect Canada’s natural legacy.

• Lotta Hitschmanova (1909–1990) — humanitarian. Founded the Unitarian Service Committee of Canada, which helped thousands of refugees from war-torn countries find aid.

• Adelaide Hoodless (1857–1910) — educator and reformer. Founded the Women’s Institute to teach women about motherhood and household management.

• Herman Smith “Jackrabbit” Johannsen (1875–1987) — Cross-country skier. Founded numerous ski clubs and programs to encourage people to become, and remain, physically active well into old age.

• Arthur Lismer (1885–1969) — educator and artist. Member of the Group of Seven, and instrumental in educating a generation of young people about art.

• Nellie McClung (1873–1951) — feminist. Fought for a woman’s right to vote and run for office, and was one of the Famous Five who fought to have women recognized as “persons” under the law.

• John A. Macdonald (1815–1891)— first Prime Minister of Canadian Confederation. Principal author of the Canadian Constitution; unified the country by spearheading the construction of a transcontinental railway.

• Thomas D’Arcy McGee (1825–1868) — journalist and politician. A founder of Confederation, advocate of Irish rights; later assassinated.

• Louis-Joseph, Marquis de Montcalm (1712–1759) and James Wolfe (1727–1759) — soldiers. Fought on the Plains of Abraham for possession of the country by either France or Great Britain. Both men died of wounds they received on the battlefield.

• Peter Pitseolak (1902–1973) —photographer and artist. Captured his Inuit culture through photography and painting at a time of rapid transition in the Canadian North.

• Francis Rattenbury (1867–1935) — architect. Colourful architect whose work dominates the cityscapes of British Columbia.

• Mordecai Richler (1931–2001) — writer. Prolific and humorous writer who captured the complex Jewish culture of Montreal.

• Gabrielle Roy (1909–1983) — writer. Inspired by the miseries of urban life, she wrote many novels which have become Canadian classics.

• Jeanne Sauvé (1922–1993) — Speaker of the House of Commons and Governor General of Canada. Pioneered women’s roles in politics; first Quebec woman elected to federal parliament; first woman to become Speaker of the House of Commons and first female Governor General.

• Joey Smallwood (1900–1991) — Premier of Newfoundland. Responsible for bringing Newfoundland into Confederation.

• David Thompson (1770–1857) — mapmaker. Explored and mapped vast areas of the Canadian West.

• Jules R. Timmins (1889–1971) — mining entrepreneur. Founder of many mining operations on the Ungava Peninsula; responsible for the creation of many northern communities.

• Pierre E. Trudeau (1919–2000) — Prime Minister of Canada. Responsible for repatriating the Canadian constitution and instituting official bilingualism.