by You could debate about which male hockey player on this list is the best, but theres not much doubt that Hayley Wickenheiser is the greatest female hockey player in history. She sings in both French and English, layering beautiful vocal hooks and incredible musical arrangements into one awesome package. According to the 2016 census,Frenchwas the mother tongue language of 7,166,705 people, or 21 per cent of the Canadian population. Born in 1606 to a bourgeois family in Langres in northwest France, Jeanne Mance founded Montrals first hospital. Some that come to mind are Hockey Hall of Famer Angela James, the late freestyle skiing legend Sarah Burke, superb athlete and sports administrator Abby Hoffman and others. He is the youngest French player to score at a World Cup, and the second teenager, next to Pel, to score in a World Cup Final. He has been a household name in Canada for years as he tore up developmental and junior hockey leagues as a teenager before making his NHL debut at 18 in 2015. The Saskatchewan-raised athlete skated for both the Oilers and the Boston Bruins, and was also playing for Edmonton's AHL affiliate team, the Bakersfield Condors, in the 2019-2020 season. Her ski schools were everywhere. Clara Hughes has won six Olympic medals and also has an unusual record as being one of the only athletes in the world to have won medals at both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games. Sinclair has won the Canada Soccer Player of the Year award an outstanding 12 times in her career and is a 6 time nominee of FIFAs World Player of the Year award. The list is made up from athletes whose skills are undeniable, as well as their place within their respective sport and their representation of Canada. Hi, Im Christine a full-time traveler and career woman. The project was supported by the Governor General Lord Durham but was rejected by London. She won the first-ever World Cup skiing race in 1967 before winning gold at the 1968 winter Olympic giant slalom event. Sidney Crosby is regarded as one of the best hockey players of all time and has amassed over 1200 points over his fifteen-year playing career alongside eight all-star appearances and three Stanley Cups. A member . He then established himself as one of the top hockey and boxing referees of his generation. More than any other player, Howe played the whole game. Canada's greatest wheelchair racer of all-time blazes trails wherever her career takes her - as an athlete, advocate or politician. Lou Marsh also worked for the Toronto Star for more than four decades and is often counted among the pioneers of sports journalism in the country. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin 22/35 Rachel McAdams This Mean Girl was born in London, Ontario. Its always an inspiring sight to see a Canadian with that gold medal around their neck. Competing in his first Olympics, he won a silver medal in the 200m, and bronze medals in the 100m and 4 x 100m relay. However, Captain Charisma had so much more to offer to the fans of WWE. She did it in her 500-metre specialty at both the 1998 and 2002 Games. She is an Olympic gold-medalist and 13-time world champion who also competed in track bicycle racing events. Milos Raonic, a tennis player, was born in the former Yugoslavia, but moved with his family to Canada when he was 3 years old. Wayne Gretzky Hometown: Brantford, Ontario. 10 Ice hockey. In 2022, Andre De Grasse won a gold medal at the World Championships. FouKi See on Instagram Canada is a nation that has an incredibly diverse interest in sports. There are parks and lakes and mountain peaks and streets and buildings named after her. The list features athletes from a wide variety of sports and eras. Born in a poor neighboorhood in the 15th arrondissement of Marseille, Zidane started playing football at age 5. or back-to-back World Cup overall titles, Greene Raine ruled the slopes and inspired the next generation of ski racers, male and female. Tom Longboat was an Onondaga athlete who specialized in distance running. 5 Bobsleigh. Those include Sidney Crosby, Milos Raonic, Penny Oleksiak and Andre de Grasse, just to name a few. Being the best at one sport is quite an accomplishment, but being the best at two sports is phenomenal. See also; 10 Highest Paid Athletes in the world. If you liked this article, please share it! For a time, Canadian sprinter Donovan Bailey held the record as the fastest man in the world. The first ever World Cup ski race was held in 1967. He played professionally for Cannes in 1989. Three hundred and seventy-five years ago, a small group of French settlers faced unthinkable hardship and danger to establish what would become the great city of Montral. She's an advocate for persons with disabilities and has served as Canada's chef de mission for the 2016 Rio Paralympic team and the 2014 Commonwealth Games team. In 1980, Ron Turcotte was elected as a member of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. She died in 1981, leaving a powerful legacy of championing the rights of women and the underprivileged. She followed those medals up with four medals over the span of three Winter Games in speedskating. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages. Born in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. The title of Worlds Greatest Athlete has often been reserved for the best decathlete in the world, as the sport requires all-around ability in a variety of running, throwing, and jumping events. The Ontario native has also represented Canada on the international stage several times, including being a member of the bronze medal winning squad at the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship. Now, Humphries competes for the United States after an acrimonious split from the Canadian program. She has been tireless in advocating for fitness and an active lifestyle and at 76 years old, she's still carving turns. The 167 goals puts her second all-time in international goals scored, behind American Abby Wambach. To celebrate Canadas 150th anniversary, KelownaNow is shining a light on our amazing country. A long-time member of the Canadian national team, Sinclair currently has the 2nd most international goals in female soccer history. He won a Grey Cup, a Memorial Cup, two Stanley Cups and even a baseball championship in the International League. She retired after 2012 London Games after finishing fifth in the time trial. As one of the worlds best decathletes, London, Ontarios Damian Warner is deserving of a spot on this list of the best Canadian athletes. He was 16 when he began his martial arts training with the Canadian Army. At the 2006 winter Olympic, Klassen became the only Canadian athlete to ever win five medals at one Olympic games. He later quit sports to pursue acting. Jeannie Longos athletic career began in her hometown in the French Alps. named GSP the Canadian Athlete of the Year in 2008, 2009 and 2010, and only Anderson Silva (2,457 days) had a longer title run than GSP (2,204 days). Marcheline Bertrand, actress of half French-Canadian ancestry, mother of actress Angelina Jolie. Throughout the years, hundreds of Canadian athletes have made their mark on the world of sport and represented Canada at the highest level. Vote for Your Favourite People Born In Quebec, (One of the Greatest Fighters in the History of Mixed Martial Arts), (One of the Most Prominent Actors During Hollywood's Golden Age), (Film Director, Screenwriter, Playwright), (Canadian TV and Film Actor and Voice Actor), (Canadian Artist Who Held a Guinness World Record for His Full-Body Tattoos), (Canadian Voice Actor, Illustrator, Blogger, and Former Animator), (American Designer of Firearms Who Created the 'M1 Garand', a Semi-automatic Rifle), (German Actress, Comedian, Television Presenter, and Voice Actress), (Vlogger and Host of the Popular YouTube Show 'Epic Meal Time'), (Mixed martial artist, Taekwondo athlete), (Canadian Writer, Novelist, Poet, and Playwright). In 1995 Longo became the first female rider to win road and time-trial world titles in the same year, a record that stood until Hollands Anna van der Breggen accomplished the same feat in 2020. Rachel Homan is a Canadian professional curler best known for winning the gold medal at the 2017 World Curling Championships. He was a goal scorer, a puck-handler, a scrapper, a bruiser, a leader, a right-hand man. He is the eighth of nine children of Alma Elaine Conroy (ne Donnelly), a . Scarborough, Ontarios Andre De Grasse was a relatively late bloomer in the sport of track and field, as he didnt seriously begin racing until he was partway through high school. Canadian Olympic School Program: Black History Collection. Candice Quigley The first Canadian-born athlete to hold an official world track record, three-time Olympian Harry Jerome broke the Canadian record in the 220-yard dash when he was only 18 years old. In 1970, then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau appointed Casgrain to the Canadian Senate. Canada's national men's soccer team leaves much to be desired and are currently ranked 78th in the world. Thanks for contributing to The Canadian Encyclopedia. He returned to Canada after being granted amnesty in 1844. But not all of us are George Chuvalo. A true family affair. By the Sapporo Olympics of 1972, seven of Canada's nine nordic skiers were from the Mackenzie Delta. He was the youngest player to ever win 2 titles at 3 tennis grand slams and the first one to win the French Championship Grand Slam title in mens single in 1925. Off the field, she continues to be a inspiration to countless Canadian girls with their own dreams of athletic glory. Given the overwhelming reasons to be proud of our nations athletic output, what better time to look at the all time great athletes Canada hasgiven the sports world. He has also earned the Best Young Player and French Player of the Year awards for his stellar performances. Better known as GSP, Georges helped to turn the UFC and mixed martial arts mainstream. The Canadian Press awards the Lionel Conacher award to the countrys male athlete of the year. Get exclusive content you wont find in our magazines. The following is a list of Canadian sports personalities. Louis-Joseph Papineau PATRIOTE LEADER AND POLITICIAN Louis-Joseph Papineau had a reputation as a hero and a defender of the rights of French Canadians, but he was also seen as a traitor to the nation and to the Commonwealth. French is also the first official language spoken by 22 per cent of the Canadian population. 30 Famous Francophones Updated by Celine Cooper To celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2015, The Canadian Encyclopedia created 30 lists of 30 things that make us proud to be Canadian, from famous people and historic events, to iconic foods and influential artists. The 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, women were allowed to compete in track and field for the first time and the Canadian women headed straight to the podium. We kicked off our series of Canada 150 articles last week with Canadas 15 best ski resorts. Three-time Olympian Canadian track and field athlete and bobsledder Phylicia George is also an Olympic bronze medalist in the two-woman bobsleigh category. A significant milestone, but even more significant is that hes also the first Canadian to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. There are a number of Canadians doing good things on the PGA Tour, but that wasnt always the case. At the time of his retirement, Gretzky held 61 NHL records. Scott resigned WADA's compliance and review committee in 2018 over the reinstatement of Russia's anti-doping agency. Fiction Feature: Its Manitoba in 1888. In 1640, Mance learned that religious women the Ursulines and Augustinians had established themselves in Qubec and she was inspired to go to New France. He is best known for winning the US Triple Crown in 1973, riding the famous American thoroughbred racehorse, Secretariat. Tony Parkers dad and two siblings also played professional basketball. 9 Freestyle skiing. Legendary Canadian female athletes you should know | CBC Sports Loaded. Impressed by Mance and her mission, Peltrie decided to join the group. His career in athletics started during World War I, winning the national cross-country championships of the French military. Mario Lemieux -- When looking at the top-five French speaking players of all time, No . Donovan Bailey is a retired Jamaican-Canadian sprinter. Widely regarded as Canadas top female athlete of the 20th century, Greene was a trailblazer for female Canadian athletes. As an athlete, she won 21 medals at five Paralympic Games from 1992 to 2008, including 14 gold medals, and broke 26 world records along the way. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. Army Howard Army Howard competes in the 4th round of the 100m at the Inter-Allied Games at the Pershing Stadium in Paris in July 1919. His championship wins and titles are too many to name, but hes won the Indianapolis 500, and the Formula One World Championshiponly the third racer to have done so and the first Canadian to win the Indy 500 and F-1 championships. Hockey as he is commonly known, still holds the record for most games played in the NHL. Eisler also won a gold medal, three silver medals, and two bronze medals at the World Championships between 1985 and 1994. 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