List of people from Ontario

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Provincial flag of 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[]

Name Notable for Connection to Ontario
Patrick J. Adams (born 1981) Suits born in Toronto
Robbie Amell (born 1988) The Flash born in Toronto
Stephen Amell (born 1981) Arrow and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Out of the Shadows born in Toronto
Will Arnett (born 1970) born in Toronto
Matt Austin (born 1978) Power Rangers S.P.D. born in Toronto
Dan Aykroyd (born 1952) Saturday Night Live born in Ottawa
Peter Aykroyd (1955–2021) Saturday Night Live and Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal born in Ottawa
Steve Bacic (born 1965) raised in Windsor
Lindy Booth (born 1979) born in Oakville
Neve Campbell (born 1973) Scream series born in Guelph
John Candy (1950–1994) Home Alone and Uncle Buck born in Newmarket
Jim Carrey (born 1962) Batman Forever, Liar Liar and The Truman Show born in Newmarket
Michael Cera (born 1988) Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Superbad born in Brampton
Sarah Chalke (born 1976) Scrubs and Roseanne born in Ottawa
Juan Chioran (born 1963) Beyblade: Metal Fusion and Grossology lived in Toronto and Stratford
A. J. Cook (born 1978) Criminal Minds and Final Destination 2 born in Oshawa, raised in Whitby
Paulo Costanzo (born 1978) Royal Pains born in Brampton
Daniel DeSanto (born 1980) Mean Girls and Are You Afraid of the Dark? born in Toronto
Nina Dobrev (born 1989) The Vampire Diaries and Degrassi: The Next Generation raised in Toronto
Louis Ferreira (born 1966) raised in North York
Victor Garber (born 1949) The Flash and Titanic born in London
Ryan Gosling (born 1980) The Notebook born in London
Graham Greene (born 1952) Dances with Wolves and The Green Mile born in Ohsweken
Shenae Grimes (born 1989) 90210 born in Toronto
Corey Haim (1971–2010) The Lost Boys and Lucas born in Toronto
Jill Hennessy (born 1968) Crossing Jordan raised in Kitchener
Torri Higginson (born 1969) Stargate Atlantis born in Burlington[1]
Ben Hollingsworth (born 1984) Code Black and Virgin River born in Brockville
Jennifer Irwin (born 1975) Superstar born in Toronto
Andrew Jackson (born 1963) Bakugan: Mechtanium Surge and Beyblade: Metal Fusion born in Newmarket
Jeon Somi (born 2001) former member of I.O.I born in Windsor
Stana Katic (born 1978) Castle born in Hamilton
Isaac Kragten (born 2002) Odd Squad born in Caledonia
Don Lake (born 1956) Police Academy series, frequent collaborator with Bonnie Hunt born in Toronto
Eugene Levy (born 1946) American Pie series born in Hamilton
Myrna Lorrie (born 1940) born in Thunder Bay
Michela Luci (born 2006) Dino Dana born in Ancaster, Ontario
Rachel McAdams (born 1978) The Notebook born in St. Thomas
Scott McCord (born 1971) Bakugan born in Sarnia
Eric McCormack (born 1963) Will & Grace born in Toronto
Derek McGrath (born 1951) My Secret Identity born in Timmins
Shay Mitchell (born 1987) Pretty Little Liars born in Mississauga
Rick Moranis (born 1953) Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Ghostbusters born in Toronto
Al Mukadam (born 1985) Radio Free Roscoe born in Toronto
Mike Myers (born 1963) Shrek series born in Scarborough
Sophie Nélisse (born 2000) born in Windsor
Catherine O'Hara (born 1954) SCTV and Schitt's Creek raised in Toronto[2]
Sandra Oh (born 1971) born in Ottawa
Megan Park (born 1986) The Secret Life of the American Teenager born in Lindsay
Dan Petronijevic (born 1981) born in Scarborough
Mary Pickford (1892–1979) co-founder of United Artists and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences born in Toronto
Christopher Plummer (1929-2021) Sound of Music, Beginners, and All the Money in the World born in Toronto
Sarah Polley (born 1979) born in Toronto
David Reale Beyblade born in Caledon
Kathleen Robertson (born 1973) Beverly Hills, 90210 and Scary Movie 4 born in Hamilton
Kelly Rowan (born 1965) The O.C. born in Ottawa
Caterina Scorsone (born 1981) Private Practice and Grey's Anatomy born in Toronto
Corey Sevier (born 1984) born in Ajax
Martin Short (born 1950) born in Hamilton
Jay Silverheels (1912–1980) The Lone Ranger born in Brantford
Scott Speedman (born 1975) Felicity and Underworld films raised in Toronto
John Stocker (born 1947) born in Toronto
Tara Strong (born 1973) born in Toronto
Dave Thomas (born 1949) born in St. Catharines
Emily VanCamp (born 1986) born in Port Perry
Chris Violette (born 1981) Power Rangers S.P.D. born in Mississauga
Lisa Yamanaka (born 1983) born in Toronto

Artists[]

  • Troy Brooks (born 1972 in Chatham, Ontario) — painter

Comedians[]

  • Derek Edwards – Timmins
  • Dave Foley – Etobicoke
  • Evan Fong – Toronto
  • Tom Green – Pembroke
  • Phil Hartman – Brantford[3]
  • Jenny Jones – London
  • 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[]

  • 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
  • Sean Avery – retired hockey player from North York
  • 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
  • Tomer Chencinski (born 1984) – Israeli-Canadian football player from Thornhill
  • Steve Christie – Hamilton
  • Mike Craig – Thorndale
  • Laura Creavalle – Toronto
  • Nick Denis – 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 – Toronto
  • Mark Friedman (born 1995) - NHL player from Toronto
  • Doug Gilmour – Kingston
  • Claude Giroux – Hearst
  • Wayne Gretzky (born 1961) – Brantford
  • Brooke Henderson (born 1997) - Smiths Falls
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Denis Shapovalov (born 1999) – Israeli-Canadian tennis player – Vaughan
  • Patrick Sharp – Thunder Bay
  • 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) – Toronto
  • Nigel Wilson (born 1970) – Oshawa

Politicians[]

See also: List of premiers of Ontario
  • Laura Curran
  • Philip Downing
  • Stephen Harper – 22nd Prime Minister of Canada (2006–2015) and former Conservative Party leader – Leaside
  • John T. Jarvis
  • Paul Martin – 21st Prime Minister of Canada (2003–2006) – Windsor
  • James McMillan – Hamilton
  • Justin Trudeau – 23rd Prime Minister of Canada (2015–present) – Ottawa

Olympic athletes[]

  • 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[]

  • Thalia Assuras – London
  • 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, Milton
  • Shalom Harlow – Oshawa
  • Michiel Horn – Toronto
  • Peter Jennings – Toronto
  • Lynn Johnston – Collingwood
  • Gail Kim – Toronto
  • Lisa LaFlamme – Kitchener
  • Ferdinand Larose – created the Larose Forest, Prescott and Russell
  • Lainey Lui – Toronto
  • Steve Mackall – Toronto
  • Lorne Michaels – Toronto
  • Alice Munro – Wingham
  • 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
  • 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[]

  • 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[6]
  • 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
  • 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

Authors[]

  • Margaret Atwood – Ottawa and Toronto
  • James Cameron – Kapuskasing and Niagara Falls
  • Julie Czerneda – Mississauga
  • Earl Doherty – Ottawa
  • Malcolm Gladwell – Kitchener-Waterloo
  • Alistair MacLeod – Windsor
  • Michael Ondaatje – Toronto
  • Robert J. Sawyer – Mississauga
  • Eric Walters – Toronto

Scientists and physicians[]

  • Sir Frederick Banting – co-discoverer of insulin
  • Dr. Charles Best – co-discoverer of insulin
  • Dr. 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
  • Dr. Roberta Bondar – astronaut, neurologist, from Sault Ste. Marie
  • Dr. 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
  • Dr. 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
  • Dr. James Naismith – physician, inventor of basketball
  • Daniel David Palmer – founder of chiropractic

Business people[]

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[7]
Michael Rapino CEO and President of Live Nation Entertainment raised in Thunder Bay[8]
Howard Wetston (born 1947) Chairman of the Ontario Securities Commission

Criminals[]

  • Paul Bernardo
  • Edwin Alonzo Boyd – led the Boyd Gang in Toronto
  • Karla Homolka

See also[]

  • List of University of Toronto people

References[]

  1. ^ "Famous Burlingtonians: Torri Higginson - Actress". Tourismburlington.com. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  2. ^ Salem, Rob (June 2, 2007). "Catherine the great". The Toronto Star. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "Buzz builds over Burlington hoops phenom Simisola Shittu". 29 January 2015 – via www.thespec.com.
  5. ^ jhicks@therecord.com (March 16, 2012). "My Passion is Tennis". TheRecord.com. Metroland Media. Archived from the original on June 6, 2013.
  6. ^ "The history of the Forest Hill neighbourhood". The Elli Davis Team - Royal LePage. Archived from the original on September 2, 2011.
  7. ^ "Obituary for William Donald Pratt". Calgary Herald. 29 November 1999. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  8. ^ Segal, David (24 April 2010). "Ticketmaster Joins Live Nation, and an Industry Quakes". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
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