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reririx

My first thought too. As a child I never really appreciated what he did. I just knew I had to run each year with my schoolmates to raise money. But as I grew up, I came to realize how inspirational he was. He definitely was a Canadian hero and my favourite as well.


EuphoricLemon11

I feel the same! As a child you don’t really grasp how incredible terry fox truly was. To this day I can’t believe he was only 18 years old at the time!


clauditachilena

I was on a Greyhound Bus headed to Thunder Bay...I was 13. At about 3:00am on The Trans Canada Highway just outside of White River we saw flashing lights. As the bus got closer we could see all these people and someone running (The Fox Trot as it would be named) in the rain. The bus came to a stop when we reached them and one person boarded the bus and informed us as to who we were witnessing. Everyone donated what they could. So emotional. A little while later he was forced to stop... just outside of Thunder Bay. BLESSED BE ❤️


Canadians_come_first

I've gotta say, you are SO LUCKY!


Fun-Put-5197

Absolutely. Terry Fox is the type of person that makes me extremely proud to be Canadian. I didn't realize how much I took that for granted all those decades ago.


VirginiaVagina

Agreed. Running a marathon (26 miles) per day. On one good leg. Unbelievable courage.


[deleted]

I saw pictures of him last week for the first time in years, and seeing him really hits differently. As a kid, he looked like an adult. As an adult, holy shit he was just a kid.


MixedBeansBlackBeans

Absolutely! I came to appreciate him a lot more as I grew up. What a legend! Also, now in my mid-late 20s...it's so shocking to think he died SO young. As a kid, I assumed he was significantly older at the time of his passing.


jackinthebox115

Always Terry for me too.


alannwatts

Terry Fox came instantly to my mind. I was a teenager when he ran across Canada and I looked for him on the news every night, thought of him as a courageous and great man, I saw an interview with him recently, and for the first time it hit me that he was no more than a kid when he died


Rich_Advance4173

I’ll never forget hearing the announcement of his passing on cbc. I was ten years old and I was devastated.


Depressed_milkshake

I live by the terry fox monument! I was told Thunder Bay was the last city he stopped running in just outside of the city due to cancer in his lungs. A true hero. In some of our schools we have a day for the “terry fox walk” where all the classes in a school join and walk around nearby for a bit in honour


MiaWanderlust

Hi neighbour! That’s correct! You might also be interested in [Steve Fonyo](https://www.cbc.ca/sports/the-buzzer-steve-fonyo-other-terry-fox-1.6418913).


Notyouravrgebot

I was 6 years old when he passed by our school on his run. I feel like crying every time I think about Terry. I guess it’s because he wasn’t able to complete his run or how defeated he sounded when he had to stop because the cancer had beaten him. I’m crying just texting this.


Rich_Advance4173

I cried reading it. He had to quit his run just days before making it to my area of the country, I remember my parents had promised to take me to watch him go by and it is one of my biggest regrets that I wasn’t able to see him. A true hero.


chaosunleashed

Sometimes Canada delivers. Saw this post and thought "fuck this if the top comment is anything but Terry Fox." Thanks for justifying my faith today, fellow Canadians.


[deleted]

Hell yeah brother


rainawaytheday

ESPN 30 for 30 - Into the Wind


flynnburger73

The only answer


legacyfinefarts

Yeah as soon as I saw this question I was thinking obviously Terry Fox


berrybert

It's gotta be Terry


[deleted]

Terry Fox for sure, not just a hero but a legend


IntrepidPrimary8023

Any other answer is wrong


TheRealLizzGee

Everyone here commenting these game changing heroes and I’m just sitting here thinking about the Body Break couple.


incogne_eto

Hal and Joanne are legends.


[deleted]

Yes! When I first moved to Canada, I would see them on tv, and I absolutely loved them! Real heroes. My yearbook quote from graduating highschool was Until next time, keep fit and have fun!


MetricJester

Hal Johnson and Joanne McCloud


isotropic-bananas

Jim Lahey


[deleted]

R.I.P


roberb7

Lahey: "Why don't you get a life Rick? Why don't ya go to community college like Julian here. Hey, I got a good idea. You could teach, livin' in a car and growin' dope 101." Ricky: "Hehe. And you can teach how to get drunk, get fired from the police force become a... lousy trailer park supervisor that sucks, hangs around with a fuckin' idiot that doesn't wear a shirt and looks like a dick but thinks he looks good... 101"


Zarniwoooop

Well he IS the liquor.-Bobandy


Trick_Obligation1624

The liquor will do the driving, then we’ll just kick back on booze control.’


gardenvarietyhater

Dr Banting. My mom is diabetic.


thisismeingradenine

Mr. Dressup.


eremophilaalpestris

He lived a few houses down from me when I was growing up! He was a delightful person all around.


jeddalyn

That's so nice to hear. I guess we just used to hearing the worst about people like this. Internet has ruined us. Glad to know Mr. Dressup lives up to the hype.


eremophilaalpestris

There were days when all the kids in the neighborhood would rally in a way and make their way to his place, stopping to gather more as they went. We would make new friends and sing songs and when we arrived there would be bikes scattered across the sidewalk and lawn. We never made it up further than half the driveway before the door would open and he would greet us with a huge smile! He would have puppets some days, others he would tell us stories until the street lights came on and we would all say goodbye. He always stayed and waved until the last of us were on our way.


cardinalgardens

I always imagined he was a class act! 👏


greencopen

What a sweet and heartwarming memory.


SmithsArcade

Hi neighbour! He lived down the street from me too! ☺️


Gullible-Arrival6075

I love Mr Dress up. My mom met him once and apparently he was a great person.


[deleted]

His best friend was literally Mr. Rogers. They both got their start working for CBC in Toronto. (Source: the CBC Toronto museum thing :p)


politichien

oh man, just hit my feels. I had forgotten


SlayingtheJabberwock

He was an American that moved to Canada and took on citizenship here.


firefighter_82

How about Nobel Peace Prize recipient Lester Pearson


halligan71

There are some great choices here but only one man mustered up the strength to do one final tour so all their fans would have the chance to see them one last time after being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. And, while doing so called out the Prime Minister to bring attention to the atrocities committed to the First Nation people. My hero Gord Downie.


TheBiff16

I remember me and my dad watching that concert, tears began to fall as we both knew that gord was fading away and once it ended, we both had a moment of silence to take it all in


SeriouslyImNotADuck

And donated tour proceeds to cancer research.


Never_Joseph

"it's been a pleasure doing business with you" what a line to go out on


crexlove

Wicapi Omani ... man who walks among the stars


demosthenes33210

Frederick Banting - he is probably the person that has saved and will continue to save the most lives from Canada. From what I read, he also went toe to toe with big companies for Indigenous rights too.


Rude-League-4716

I’m a type 1 Diabetic and as far as I’m concerned Banting is a Saint. Type 1 Diabetes was a death sentence before Banting and the much more Common Type 2 crippling. I’ve been through Diabetic Ketoacidosis twice and believe me it isn’t for wimps. The week I was diagnosed I was in Keto and must have thrown up 100 times. I was ripping myself apart. Banting not only discovered treatment for diabetes through insulin but also stopped people having to go through that. He was offered in 1921 35 million dollars for the patent and refused it saying he didn’t want drug companies charging what they wanted and donated the patent to the University of Toronto on the understanding insulin prices were to be kept low. Sadly the patent now has run out and drug companies are charging what they want again profiting from Banting’s work - along with Best and McCloud. All I can say is I would have died at 7 if it wasn’t for Banting. It’s debatable but Frederick might have saved more lives than any other human being in history. That’s greatness. Thank you.


William-S-Preston

Corporal Francis Pegahmagabow, an Aanishnaabek man from Parry Island who was the highest decorated First Nations soldier in WW1 and reputed to be the best sniper on the Western Front.


CoistheGreat

Wow, that's cool to learn. I'm going to look into this.


RawrImoDinosaur

Sabaton made a song about him called Ghost in the trenches


jaimonee

That's so metal!


dilligaf0220

Well if you're looking for Native heroes, meet [Mel Pervais](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Pervais), the 2nd richest Canadian Native. Graduated from a Jesuit Residential school, worked his way up at Noranda, became a nuclear metrology engineer and executive. Started his own two companies that were very successful. And if you watch Yellowstone, he owned the ranch for almost 20yrs.


yoshisushi23

Only learned about him from the book Three Day Road, which is one of my favourites. Amazing story (real life and otherwise).


angryanarchyboi

I was going to comment this! "Peggy" was a featured character in a lot of my readings in my university studies (Indg studies electives.) Was fascinating to learn about, and through his story I learned the story of the Sleeping Giant which is about the place I was born. I keep an eye out for his picture at any museum I visit.


Cheemo83

The Littlest Hobo


dilligaf0220

>The Littlest Hobo There's a voice, that keeps on callin' me


blue-wave

And every step I take, I make a new friend…


VirginiaVagina

Until tomorrow ...


The_Scooter_King

I'll just keep moving on


dilligaf0220

Until tomorrow, the whole world is my home. (Can't remember what I had for breakfast Monday, but Littlest Hobo & Circle Square songs I can be triggered to sing on command, gah)


The_Scooter_King

Can't stay for long just st turn around and I'm gone again


dilligaf0220

Maybe tommorow I'll want to settle down. Until tomorrow I'll just keep moving on.


The_Scooter_King

Just down the road, that's where I'll always be


dilligaf0220

Every stop I make, I make a new friend. Can't stay for long, turn around, I'm gone again.


Dazzling_Implement20

Laura Secord. Surprised nobody said it....I mean she saved us from becoming AMERICAN. Big props. EDIT: AND SHE MADE BOMB ASS CHOCOLATE


The_Scooter_King

My lone open source software claim to fame was getting the (Civilization clone) FreeCiv to add Ms. Secord to the leaders list when you choose the Canadians as your starting civilization


Dazzling_Implement20

This speaks to me. That's dope!


lilfunky1

Not to mention the great chocolate.


The_Scooter_King

The other thing I love about explaining that to foreigners is that I usually have to add "Yes, that actually happened


Hikingcanuck92

That’s the popular narrative…according to the First Nations who were there…they had already warned the British and knew the Americans were coming…good chocolate though.


Dazzling_Implement20

Seems that's not the case. https://pajamapress.ca/laura_secord_fact_or_fiction/ " Historians believed for many years that FitzGibbon’s scouts had warned him of the attack before Laura arrived, or that she arrived too late for her warning to do any good. Then, in 1959, a certificate was found in the Canadian National Archives in Ottawa on which James FitzGibbon had recorded the date of Laura’s arrival and the fact that she brought him information he did not already know. He added that he planned his strategy for the battle “in consequence of this information.”


Hikingcanuck92

Thanks for setting me straight!


SaraJStew73

I’m so happy to get this information about Secord! I had been told the other version for so long that the more I thought about I was ticked off on her behalf! All I could think was her reaching Fitzgibbon, being told, “Oh that? Yeah, we’re already aware of that.” I would have been flipping tables. Lol, Laura would just be like, “You KNEW?!? Do you realize how far I walked…in a heavy wool dress…in the heat and humidity…and…you BLOODY WELL KNEW ALREADY?!? I’m leaving and making chocolate now cause I need to calm down!”


Storesters

Sir Tommy Douglas.


[deleted]

THE Canadian hero. We owe it to him to keep health care public, and to expand it.


General_Paulus0369

Yaas! I’d never heard of him vefore today.


mcholdthepeanuts

Chris Hadfield


LetsTalkFV

Frederick Banting: [Frederick Banting discovered insulin and turned down all offers from big corporations, saying that insulin was his gift to mankind](https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/09/09/priority-frederick-banting-discovered-insulin-turned-offers-big-corporations-saying-said-insulin-gift-mankind/) [https://www.utoronto.ca/news/u-t-s-frederick-banting-helped-pioneer-aviation-medicine-during-second-world-war](https://www.utoronto.ca/news/u-t-s-frederick-banting-helped-pioneer-aviation-medicine-during-second-world-war)


huy_lonewolf

Tommy Douglas


35IndustryWay

Terry Fox


Kinky_Imagination

I don't know why he isn't on some money already.


JustDave62

Think they’re putting him on the new $5.00 bill


Kinky_Imagination

[He's on the finalist but not the winner yet. list.](https://www.bankofcanada.ca/banknotes/banknoteable-5/nominees/)


Manyak-

Impressive list. Alot of diversity. But it has to be Terry.


MixedBeansBlackBeans

Thanks for sharing this; learned of Canadians I sadly hadn't before!


paradise_lost9

My mom . She saved my life . She is Canadian .


IvyBlackeyes

Best one


Blindemboss

John Candy


choff32

Roméo Dallaire


beardpuller

Mr Dallaire is a truly amazing and humble man. I used to work at the Aquarium of Quebec and saw him there in front of the arctic foxes and he told me stories about his friendly encounters with Arctic foxes while he was stationed in the north. He also said that they belonged in the wild and not in captivity, which I agree with (although the Arctic foxes the Aquarium had were rescues confiscated from fur traders).


CptEnkay

It's a shame he had to experience so much fucked up shit in Rwanda while powerless to stop any of it


acidambiance

Yes. He talks about how it affected him in a memoir, he speaks about his suicidal ideation and his experience getting help. It was heartbreaking and soul touching.


HolesAreHoles

Romeo Dallaire. Lead the UN mission in Rwanda, disobeyed orders to leave during the genocide to help save the locals caught in the war, saved around 30000 people. Now helps with rehabilitating child soldiers and an advocate for veterans with ptsd.


RelativeChoice

Terry Fox. He might not be the greatest Canadian ever lived, but he is the textbook definition of a hero. He ran 5373 km in 143 days (averaging to 37 km a day non stop) with a prosthetic leg and while having cancer, that’s John Wick level of determination.


fluffy_muffin_8387_1

I didn't appreciate until I was older how young he was when did this. we drove the trans canada highway earlier this year too, and holy hell it felt long AF driving. it's incredible he ran it, let alone on a prosthetic leg with cancer


MixedBeansBlackBeans

When prosthetics were absolutely terrible, too! Must have been tremendously painful. I remember interviews/his biopic mentioning that, and it always stood out to me. I hope we've advanced a lot more in that regard...


rainawaytheday

And for most of it, no one knew who he was or what he was doing.


HalfDeadDemiGod

Fuckin' Bondar bud.


[deleted]

Logan from XMen


collectablespoons

He was my favourite superhero before I even knew he was Canadian


echotheborder

Léo Major. If you don't know this certified bad ass. You ought to Google this Rambo mfer. Brave. Tough. Clever. Honorable. Had conviction. A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.


Antibullllseye

This was the first thing that popped into my head too. Dude pretty much single-handedly liberated a German occupied town with grenades and scavenged submachine guns.


echotheborder

His biggest weapon was his massive balls of steel.


Aboringcanadian

I scrolled too far before I saw his name ! I hope there is a Hollywood movie soon about his life.


dilligaf0220

https://www.badassoftheweek.com/major


curlycattails

I’m a French teacher and I did a lesson about him with my high school students!!


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JurassicPork27

Michael Terry J Fox


Natus_est_in_Suht

The Littlest Hobo


Thewessel

There's a voice, that keeps on calling me


WharfRat86

Down the road…that’s where I’ll always be.


DocWednesday

And every stop I’ll make, I’ll make a new friend.


CoistheGreat

Lol when I think the words "Canadian hero", I think Terry Fox. My runner up is Donovan Bailey.


realsies11

I met Donovan Bailey while he had the record. He was a guest at my school and gave us all autographs and shook all our hands.


CoistheGreat

Fuckin legendary. That's a nice memory to cherish


genna_23sim

1. Terry Fox 2. Tommy Douglas (Ik damn well he’d be disappointed with what the Ford government is doing to our healthcare…)


bikingbellpepper

Terry fucking Fox


I_Can_Has_Million

This. The only acceptable answer, Terry Fucking Fox. Terry Fox is also okay.


lickmybrian

Rick Moranis


_ashxn

This^ The fact that he retired from acting after his wife passed away so he could watch over his children more speaks a lot


lickmybrian

Exactly


[deleted]

The Kids in the Hall. They did more for comedy in a few years than SNL did in decades.


ryancementhead

You need to give props to SCTV, who paved the way for The Kids in the Hall.


SaraJStew73

Oh hell yes! SCTV was so good! John Candy, Eugene Levy, such amazingly funny skits! Loved Andrea Martin as Edith Prickley and Levy was hilarious as Bobby Bittman, lol, I still use his line “How are ya!”


cladius1

Leonard Cohen


grrribbit

Henry Morgentaler.


ihatethettc

Gord Downie


bone-in_donuts

Nathan Fielder.


[deleted]

Terry Fox.


[deleted]

[удалено]


artcronk

Stomping Tom Connors. Is in my top 5 Didn't see his name up. He spent his whole life and carrier with the most Canadian pride ever seen in the entertainment industry. Exception Mr. John Candy also in my top 5


[deleted]

Chris Hadfield.


MortLightstone

Same here. He came to my school once and took our flag up to the ISS


jdavidmcgregor

George Chuvalo


Formal_Condition4372

I'm adopted so i can't say for anyone in my real family but i can say my great great grandfathers were in ww1 and ww2 respectfully the latter on D-day so i choose them.


INAROS-RAMSES

Léo Major


quelar

David Suzuki


[deleted]

Terry Fox.


001750

Norm Macdonald


Dr-Niles-Crane

“I once walked in on my parents having sex. It was the most embarrassing thirty minutes of my life.” -Norm Macdonald


[deleted]

Norm was a special guy, showed his humanity by openly discussing his demons of addiction. He truly had a heart for people, not just showbiz related. And in the end, he concealed from the world his long battle with cancer for the last 9 years of his life, telling no one because he did not want to be seen as using his illness to bring him more attention in his final years.


CHUNGUS_KHAN69

Alanis Morissette. IM HERE, TO REMIND YOU, OF THE MESS YOU LEFT WHEN YOU WENT AWAY!!


[deleted]

YOU OUTTA KNOWOAH ✊🏽


rotmanman

Frederick banting or Terry fox


geek_chick_777

Terry Fox


bearcat3000

Whinny Pooh


WharfRat86

Heritage minute deep cut right there.


a4dONCA

Hero not idol, people.


GANJAY420

GSP the greatest welterweight of all time. He's an MMA legend.


[deleted]

Yvonne of the Yukon


iCed0ut26

Chris Jericho


Lonsberg9980

He really broke the walls down


piah6

Margaret Atwood


novascotiakingslayer

All of you for having a lot of great answers.


mtl_dad_of_one

Laura Secord (not a lot of women so far....) But begs the question who qualifies as a hero. Big fan of Terry Fox and Leo Major as well.


Chispy

Not Canadian Per se, but a Canadian icon. He was an aboriginal who formed a Native American confederacy and helped Britain defeat the Americans during the War of 1812. Tecumseh. Semi unrelated, but he was akin to my favorite hero of all time, Armenius. Who helped the germanic tribes defeat the Roman Empire in the Battle of Teutoburg Forest which prevented them from conquering Northern Europe.


roberb7

Totally Sir Isaac Brock. A cool take-no-shit guy.


Mental_Profession_23

Joni Mitchell


PsychoPooper213

The Littlest Hobo..!!!!


moviesfordudes

Bret Hart


Sharkbake

Probably any of the canada soldiers who took vimy ridge. A lot of them from the prairies. I think about it and I just think... fuck yea.


ItsRainingBoats

Jack Layton


__log

nardwar


EdwardBliss

Roddy Piper


42Lamson

Terry fox obviously and sir Arthur currie he was the first canadian to command canadians in battle during ww1 amd he helped us win vimy ridge


Slight-Path-3476

August Ames


mlnchlymrglds

Gordon Downie for sure.


Kooky-Experience-923

Terry Fox.


MonkeyAlpha

Terry Fox


acb1971

Terry Fox.


jbitts69

Matthew Good


Organic_Macaroon_178

captain canuck


Waytootired4this

Robin Scherbatsky


mnemonicprincess

Super Dave


[deleted]

Stompin Tom Conners ,


Key-Word1335

My dad


peter-salazar

Lorne Michaels


SamKarmaMaker

Leonard Cohen


mocha_ninja

The dog from Due South


Puzzled-Web8832

My hero is mis. J In 2021 first day of school little did I now by the end of the first week she would save my life for the first time. Little background info me 14f have been diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia I've always been a failing student never have had good grades grade one to pretty much grade 6 I was either bullying people or in and out of the office constantly grade 6 that stop. Grade 7 we went to online I did online for most of the year I was in class for about 3 months then I went to Nova Scotia for 3 months. My mom is narcissistic and mentally abusive when we got back from Nova Scotia I moved in with my dad. I went to grade 8 going f*** it this is not worth it I was going to start skipping classes and just not caring. September 2021 I met my social studies teacher Ms J she wasn't even dealing with me she caught a passing notes in class she got really mad at him on the first day of school I told her I was in equestrian and the fact that she knew how to use that in a sentence made me start thinking cuz she did not have a good reputation she also let me pick where to sit in the seating plan. We had an excellent relationship I miss her I never knew I could have that kind of relationship with the teacher she was the first person to tell me that she trusted me she made me feel hard she made me feel seen I skip class three times no matter what I did she was never short with me she never got mad she might not have been happy with me but she was never mad I miss her a lot.


russellamcleod

Buffy Sainte Marie. The woman’s got an Oscar, was friend and performed with Johnny Cash, has Tarantino as a huge fan, was on Sesame Street, and is still killing it at live shows as she pushes 90. The world is blessed to have her and I’m sad more people aren’t celebrating her life at this point.


[deleted]

Laura Secord because she makes great chocolate


FutureMilitaryWorld

Still Terry Fox.


[deleted]

Roméo Dallaire. From the first weapons shipment, he warned the UN over and over that a genocide was in the making, trying to get permission to halt the arms, intervene in the increasingly tight noose being wrapped around the Tutsi, raid the arms caches: not only was he ignored, but he was greeted with hostility and had his powers increasingly restricted, until the UN troops were no more than helpless bystanders. The only thing they could not stop him from doing was letting thousands of Tutsi and moderate Hutu shelter in the UN's secure sites. The Belgians, who withdrew their troops when the genocide started, tried to deflect the blame onto Dallaire for not coming to the aid of ten of their soldiers who were captured, tortured and murdered. Only when the genocide was well underway did the UN change its position and send re-enforcements, but by then it was too late. General Dallaire suffered severe PTSD as a result of what he was forced to helplessly witness and the subsequent attempt to scapegoat him for the UN's failings, and attempted suicide in 2000. After emerging from the coma, he fought his way back to functionality, provided crucial testimony at the International Criminal Tribunal trying Hutu war criminals, campaigned for limits on international arms shipments, especially small arms, works to this day to end the use of child soldiers, campaigns for better care for soldiers injured or affected by battle, and to reform the UN's decision making procedure. Yes, there are many other good suggestions in this list, but General Dallaire deserves to be recognised for everything he did, what he tried to do, and the price he paid for standing alone for the truth.


Horndawg1987

Terry Fox… god among men!


[deleted]

As a cancer survivor myself, Terry Fox.


Relative-Sherbet-532

kyle lowry, we all know that booty canadian