List of people from Ontario
This is a list of notable people who were either born or lived in Ontario, Canada, or have spent a large part or formative part of their career in that province.
Film, television, and voice actors
[edit]Artists
[edit]- Troy Brooks (born 1972 in Chatham, Ontario) – painter
Comedians
[edit]- Kurtis Conner – Hamilton
- Derek Edwards – Timmins
- Dave Foley – Etobicoke
- Evan Fong – Toronto
- Tom Green – Pembroke
- Phil Hartman – Brantford[3]
- Jenny Jones – London
- Mike MacDonald – Ottawa
- Norm Macdonald – Ottawa
- Howie Mandel – Toronto
- Mark McKinney – Ottawa
- Russell Peters – Brampton
- Katherine Ryan – Sarnia
- Ron Sparks – Chatham-Kent
- Scott Thompson – North Bay
- Harland Williams – Toronto
- John Wing Jr. – Sarnia
Professional athletes
[edit]- Caleb Agada (born 1994) – Nigerian-Canadian basketball player in the Israeli Premier League and for the Nigerian national basketball team
- Bolade Ajomale – Olympic sprinter from Richmond Hill
- Kyle Alexander (born 1996) – basketball player for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Sean Avery – retired hockey player from North York
- Alon Badat (born 1989) – Israeli soccer player from Thornhill
- Josh Bailey – hockey player, New York Islanders – Bowmanville
- Rowan Barrett – basketball player from Scarborough, top scorer in the 2002 Israel Basketball Premier League
- Anthony Bennett – basketball player from Toronto
- Sam Bennett – hockey player from Holland Landing
- Shane Bergman – CFL player from Waterford
- Reno Bertoia (1935–2011) – Major League baseball player from Windsor
- Tajon Buchanan (born 1999) – soccer player – Brampton
- Marcus Carr (born 1999) – basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Tomer Chencinski (born 1984) – Israeli-Canadian football player from Thornhill
- Steve Christie – NFL placekicker - Hamilton
- Mike Craig - NHL player – Thorndale
- Laura Creavalle - bodybuilder – Toronto
- Nick Denis – mixed martial artist - North Bay
- Andre De Grasse – Olympic sprinter from Scarborough
- Phil Esposito – Sault Ste. Marie
- Tony Esposito – Sault Ste. Marie
- Simon Farine – basketball player from Toronto
- Sharon Fichman (born 1990) – Canadian/Israeli tennis player from Toronto
- Mike Fisher – hockey player from Peterborough
- Rick Fox – NBA player - Toronto
- Mark Friedman (born 1995) – NHL player from Toronto
- Greg Gardner (born 1975) – ice hockey player and coach
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (born 1998) – Toronto
- Doug Gilmour – NHL player - Kingston
- Claude Giroux – NHL player - Hearst
- Wayne Gretzky (born 1961) – Brantford
- Brooke Henderson (born 1997) – Smiths Falls
- Jack Hendrickson (born 1936) – National Hockey League player from Kingston, Ontario and Midland, Ontario
- James Hinchcliffe – Oakville
- Tim Horton – Cochrane
- Jack Hughes (born 2001) – NHL ice hockey player from Toronto
- Zach Hyman (born 1992) – NHL ice hockey player from Forest Hill
- Cory Joseph – Pickering
- Curtis Joseph – Keswick
- Nazem Kadri (born 1990) – NHL player – London
- David Levin (born 1999) – Israeli ice hockey player – Toronto
- Jesse Levine (born 1987) – American-Canadian tennis player – Ottawa
- Alex "Mine Boy" Levinsky (1910–1990) – NHL hockey player – Toronto
- Eric Lindros (born 1973) – London
- Jamaal Magloire – Toronto
- Frank Mahovlich – Timmins
- Connor McDavid – Newmarket
- Jamal Murray – basketball, Kitchener
- Rick Nash – Brampton
- Josh Naylor – Mississauga
- Daniel Nestor – Toronto
- Bobby Orr – Parry Sound
- Pete Orr – Richmond Hill
- Bob Plager – hockey player, Kirkland Lake
- Milos Raonic – tennis player – Thornhill
- Samuel Rothschild (1899–1987) – ice hockey player – Sudbury
- Jim Rutherford – Beeton
- Samuel Schachter (born 1990) – Olympic volleyball player
- Denis Shapovalov (born 1999) – Israeli-Canadian tennis player – Vaughan
- Patrick Sharp – NHL player - Thunder Bay
- Marial Shayok (born 1995) - basketball player in the NBA and currently in the Israeli Premier Basketball League
- Simisola Shittu (born 1999) – British-born Canadian basketball player for Ironi Ness Ziona of the Israeli Basketball Premier League - Burlington[4]
- Darryl Sittler (born 1950) – Kitchener
- Trevor Smith (born 1985) – hockey player – Ottawa
- Eric Staal – Thunder Bay
- Jordan Staal – Thunder Bay
- Marc Staal – Thunder Bay
- Steven Stamkos – Markham
- Andrew Sznajder (born 1967) – English-born Canadian tennis player – Oakville[5]
- Tristan Thompson – Brampton
- Joe Thornton – St. Thomas
- Raffi Torres – Toronto
- Paul Tracy – Scarborough
- Mike Veisor (born 1952) – hockey player – Toronto
- Joey Votto (born 1983) – baseball player – Etobicoke
- Andrew Wiggins (born 1995) – NBA player - Toronto
- Nigel Wilson (born 1970) – Oshawa
Politicians
[edit]- Laura Curran
- Philip Downing
- Stephen Harper – 22nd Prime Minister of Canada (2006–2015) and former Conservative Party leader – Leaside
- John T. Jarvis
- Michael Kerzner – Solicitor General of Ontario
- William Lyon Mackenzie King - 10th Prime Minister of Canada (1921-26, 1926-30, 1935-48) Longest serving Prime Minister in Canadian history - Berlin now Kitchener.
- Paul Martin – 21st Prime Minister of Canada (2003–2006) – Windsor
- James McMillan – Hamilton
- Lester B. Pearson – 14th Prime Minister of Canada (1963-1968) – Newtonbrook
- Justin Trudeau – 23rd Prime Minister of Canada (2015–present) – Ottawa
Olympic athletes
[edit]- Alex Baumann – Sudbury
- Nathan Brannen – Cambridge
- Patrick Chan – Ottawa
- Gabrielle Daleman – Newmarket
- Victor Davis – Guelph
- Meagan Duhamel – Sudbury
- Lori Dupuis – South Glengarry
- John Fitzpatrick – Toronto
- Chris Jarvis – Grimsby
- Becky Kellar – Hagersville
- Rosie MacLennan – King City
- Conlin McCabe – Brockville
- Scott Moir – London
- Penny Oleksiak – Toronto
- Brian Orser – Belleville
- Elvis Stojko – Richmond Hill
- Adam van Koeverden – Oakville
- Tessa Virtue – London
- Simon Whitfield – Kingston
Other notable celebrities
[edit]- Thalia Assuras – London
- Samantha Bee – Toronto
- Gavin Michael Booth - Amherstburg
- William J. Bruce III - St. Catharines[6]
- Don Cherry – Kingston
- William Winer Cooke – Brantford
- Adam Copeland – Orangeville
- Linda Evangelista – St. Catharines
- Melyssa Ford – Toronto
- Frank Gehry – Toronto
- Danielle Graham – Guelph
- Chris Hadfield – astronaut, Sarnia and Milton
- Shalom Harlow – Oshawa
- James Hobson – engineer and Youtuber, Kitchener[7]
- Michiel Horn – Toronto
- Peter Jennings – Toronto
- Lynn Johnston – Collingwood
- Jason Jones – Hamilton
- Gail Kim – Toronto
- Lisa LaFlamme – Kitchener
- Ferdinand Larose – created the Larose Forest, Prescott and Russell
- Lainey Lui – Toronto
- Steve Mackall – Toronto
- Lorne Michaels – Toronto
- Daniel Negreanu – poker player, Toronto
- Kevin Newman – Toronto
- Jordan Peterson – professor, Toronto
- Quddus – Toronto
- James Randi – Toronto
- Ivan Reitman – Hamilton
- Jason Reso – Orangeville
- Sandie Rinaldo – Toronto
- John Roberts – Toronto
- Lloyd Robertson – Stratford
- Morley Safer – Toronto
- David Shore – London
- Lilly Singh – Toronto
- Trish Stratus – Richmond Hill
- John Saunders – sports reporter, from Ajax and other cities
- Alex Trebek – Sudbury
- Jack L. Warner – London
- Ken Westerfield – disc sports (Frisbee) pioneer, from Toronto
- Lauren Williams – Toronto
Bands, musicians, singers, and rappers
[edit]- Lee Aaron – Belleville
- Annihilator (band) – Ottawa
- Bryan Adams – Kingston
- Alexisonfire – St. Catharines
- Paul Anka – Ottawa
- Eva Avila – Ottawa
- Barenaked Ladies – Scarborough
- Justin Bieber – Stratford
- Billy Talent – Mississauga
- Jully Black – Toronto
- Blue Rodeo – Toronto
- Broken Social Scene – Toronto
- Cancer Bats – Toronto
- Candi & The Backbeat – North York
- Alessia Cara – Mississauga
- Keshia Chanté – Ottawa
- Bruce Cockburn – Ottawa
- Deborah Cox – Toronto
- deadmau5 – Niagara Falls; real name Joel Thomas Zimmerman
- Hugh Dillon – Kingston
- Fefe Dobson – Scarborough
- Drake – Toronto
- Finger Eleven – Burlington
- Five Man Electrical Band – Ottawa
- J.D. Fortune – Mississauga
- Nelly Furtado – Forest Hill, Toronto[8]
- Glenn Gould – Toronto
- Dallas Green – St. Catharines
- Hail the Villain – Oshawa
- Sarah Harmer – Burlington
- illScarlett – Mississauga
- Jeon Somi (born 2001) – Windsor
- Kardinal Offishall – Toronto
- Vikas Kohli – Mississauga
- James LaBrie – Penetanguishene
- Henry Lau – Toronto
- Avril Lavigne – Belleville and Greater Napanee
- Gordon Lightfoot – Orillia
- Lights – Timmins
- Little X – Toronto
- Guy Lombardo – London
- Brian Melo – Hamilton
- Shawn Mendes – Pickering
- Alice Merton – Oakville
- Metric – Toronto
- Kim Mitchell – Sarnia
- Alanis Morissette – Ottawa
- My Darkest Days – Toronto
- The Partland Brothers – Colgan
- Our Lady Peace – Toronto
- Peaches – Toronto
- Protest the Hero – Whitby
- Anastasia Rizikov – Toronto
- Rush – Toronto
- Saga – Oakville
- Paul Shaffer – Thunder Bay
- Sheriff – Toronto
- Silverstein – Burlington
- Snow – Toronto
- Wendy Son – Richmond Hill
- Sum 41 – Ajax
- Skye Sweetnam – Bolton
- Teenage Head – Hamilton
- Three Days Grace – Toronto
- Tokyo Police Club – Newmarket
- The Tragically Hip – Kingston
- Shania Twain – Windsor
- U.S.S. (Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker) – Stouffville, Markham and Toronto
- Vanity – Niagara Falls
- Walk off the Earth – Burlington
- Tamia Washington – Windsor
- The Weeknd – Scarborough
- Michelle Wright – Merlin
- Neil Young – Toronto
- Daniel Caesar – Toronto
Authors
[edit]- Margaret Atwood – Ottawa and Toronto
- James Cameron – Kapuskasing and Niagara Falls
- Julie Czerneda – Mississauga
- Robertson Davies – Thamesville
- Earl Doherty – Ottawa
- J. S. Ewart (1849–1933) – advocate for Canadian independence, from Toronto
- Malcolm Gladwell – Kitchener-Waterloo
- Alistair MacLeod – Windsor
- Alice Munro (1931–2024) – Wingham
- Michael Ondaatje – Toronto
- Robert J. Sawyer – Mississauga
- Eric Walters – Toronto
Scientists and physicians
[edit]- Sir Frederick Banting – co-discoverer of insulin
- Charles Best – co-discoverer of insulin
- Norman Bethune – physician, pioneered the use of in-field blood transfusions during the Spanish Civil War, joined the Communist guerillas in China in the 1930s
- Roberta Bondar – astronaut, neurologist, from Sault Ste. Marie
- Robert Buckman – oncologist, president of Humanist Association of Canada
- Mathew Evans – inventor, created and patented the first incandescent light bulb in 1874, five years before Thomas Edison's US patent
- Wilbur Franks – physician and inventor; developed first anti-gravity or "G-suit" now used by air crews and astronauts; also noted for his work in cancer research
- James Naismith – physician, inventor of basketball
- Daniel David Palmer – founder of chiropractic
Businesspeople
[edit]| Name | Notable for | Connection to Ontario |
|---|---|---|
| Henry Corby (1806–1881) | Founder of Corby Spirit and Wine | lived in Belleville from 1832 until his death in 1881 |
| William Pratt (1928–1999) | 1988 XV Winter Olympics organizer, Calgary contractor | born in Ottawa[9] |
| Michael Rapino | CEO and President of Live Nation Entertainment | raised in Thunder Bay[10] |
| Howard Wetston (born 1947) | Chairman of the Ontario Securities Commission | |
| William R. White (born 1943) | economist, chaired the Economic and Development Review Committee at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris | born in Kenora |
Criminals
[edit]- Paul Bernardo
- Edwin Alonzo Boyd – led the Boyd Gang in Toronto
- Karla Homolka
- Mahmoud Mohammad Issa Mohammad – Palestinian former member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine; deported[11]
- Johnny Papalia
Others
[edit]- Margaret Hyndman – lawyer and women's rights advocate
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Famous Burlingtonians: Torri Higginson - Actress". Tourismburlington.com. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- ^ Salem, Rob (June 2, 2007). "Catherine the great". The Toronto Star. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
- ^ Parish, James Robert (2004). The Hollywood Book of Scandals: The Shocking, Often Disgraceful Deeds and Affairs of More Than 100 American Movie and TV Idols. McGraw-Hill Professional. pp. 212–213. ISBN 0-07-142189-0.
- ^ "Buzz builds over Burlington hoops phenom Simisola Shittu". The Hamilton Spectator. 29 January 2015 – via www.thespec.com.
- ^ "My Passion is Tennis". TheRecord.com. Metroland Media. March 16, 2012. Archived from the original on June 6, 2013.
- ^ "William J. Bruce III | Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ "Internet Famous: How James Hobson (a.k.a. The Hacksmith) brings in six figures a year building superhero props on YouTube". Toronto Life. 2020-01-14. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
- ^ "The history of the Forest Hill neighbourhood". The Elli Davis Team - Royal LePage. Archived from the original on September 2, 2011.
- ^ "Obituary for William Donald Pratt". Calgary Herald. 29 November 1999. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ Segal, David (24 April 2010). "Ticketmaster Joins Live Nation, and an Industry Quakes". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ [🖉"After a 26- year legal battle, Canada boots convicted terrorist Mahmoud Mohammad Issa Mohammad | Brantford Expositor".
