Every small town has a story. We've mapped 984 of them.

people of small towns

You know their names. You've never been to their towns.

235 notable Canadians. The small towns that shaped them.

235+

profiles

984

Towns

200+

years of history

Alex Chicken · Moose Factory Bobby Orr · Parry Sound Roberta Bondar · Sault Ste. Marie L.M. Montgomery · Cavendish Joni Mitchell · Fort Macleod David Suzuki · Vancouver Wayne Gretzky · Brantford Buffy Sainte-Marie · Piapot Stompin’ Tom · Skinners Pond k.d. lang · Consort

What small towns mean to the people who grew up there

In their own words

Written for 1000 Towns of Canada

picture of david suzuki
ESSAY FOR 1000TOWNS

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We lost something, a strong sense of community and connection to place.

David Suzuki

   Scientist & TV Host

   Leamington, Ontario
picture of brett wilson
Personal address to 1000towns

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Wonderful place to raise the family in the 1950s — fond memories about Battleford and all things prairie.

W. Brett Wilson

   Dragons’ Den Panelist

   Battleford, Saskatchewan
Yann Martel
Personal address to 1000towns

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I’ve lived in small places, big places, centric places, eccentric places. I see the blessing and the curse in all of them.

Yann Martell

  Life of Pi Author

   Port Hope, Ontario

235 Profiles and Counting

From small towns across Canada

Celebrities, entrepreneurs, artists, athletes — the people who call small-town Canada home.

Donald H. Oliver | Senator
📍 Wolfville, Nova Scotia
Donald H. Oliver | Senator
From Wolfville, Nova Scotia In 1990, lawyer Donald H. Oliver became Canada’s first African-Canadian senator. Born in 1938 in Wolfville, Nova Scotia Donald H. Oliver…
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Myrtle Cook | First Lady of Sports
📍 Elora, Ontario
Myrtle Cook | First Lady of Sports
From Elora, Ontario Myrtle Alice Cook-McGowan, known as the First Lady of Sports in Canada, was an athlete and journalist who competed mainly in the…
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Kenneth Winters | Encyclopedia of Music in Canada Creator
📍 Dauphin, Manitoba
Kenneth Winters | Encyclopedia of Music in Canada Creator
From Dauphin, Manitoba Kenneth Lyle Winters was an eminent musician, broadcaster and music critic, and editor of The Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. Born in…
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Matthew Henry Halton | Journalist
📍 Pincher Creek, Alberta
Matthew Henry Halton | Journalist
From Pincher Creek, Alberta Matthew Henry Halton was a foreign correspondent for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation during World War II. Born in 1904 in Pincher…
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Josiah Henson | The Real Uncle Tom
📍 Dresden, Ontario
Josiah Henson | The Real Uncle Tom
From Dresden, Ontario Josiah Henson was an author, abolitionist, founder of the Black community settlement at Dawn, near Dresden. Born in 1789 in Charles County,…
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Sandra Schmirler | Curler
📍 Biggar, Saskatchewan
Sandra Schmirler | Curler
From Biggar, Saskatchewan Sandra Marie Schmirler, dubbed “Schmirler the Curler,” led her foursome to the first-ever Olympic gold medal in the sport (1998). Born in…
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Donald O. Hebb | Father of Neuropsychology
📍 Chester, Nova Scotia
Donald O. Hebb | Father of Neuropsychology
From Chester, Nova Scotia Donald Hebb is often considered the “father of neuropsychology” because of the way he was able to merge the psychological world…
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Deborah Ellis | Writer
📍 Cochrane, Ontario
Deborah Ellis | Writer
From Cochrane, Ontario Deborah Ellis is an award-winning, feminist, peace activist and philanthropist. Born in 1960 in Cochrane, Ontario Deborah Ellis began writing at the…
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Thomas Chandler Haliburton | Author
📍 Windsor, Nova Scotia
Thomas Chandler Haliburton | Author
From Windsor, Nova Scotia Thomas Chandler Haliburton is a writer best known as the creator of Sam Slick, a resourceful Yankee clock peddler and cracker-barrel…
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Adelaide Hoodless | Women’s Institute Founder
📍 St. George, Ontario
Adelaide Hoodless | Women’s Institute Founder
From St. George, Ontario Adelaide Hoodless, the née Addie Hunter, was an educational reformer who founded the Women’s Institute. Born in 1857 in St. George,…
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James B. Harkin | Father of National Parks
📍 Vankleek Hill, Ontario
James B. Harkin | Father of National Parks
From Vankleek Hill, Ontario James Bernard Harkin (‘Bunny’ Harkin) was the first commissioner of the National Parks of Canada. He established the Historic Sites and…
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Liisa Savijarvi | Alpine Skier
📍 Bracebridge, Ontario
Liisa Savijarvi | Alpine Skier
From Bracebridge, Ontario Liisa Savijarvi was one of the best Canadian alpine skiers. Born in 1963 in Bracebridge, Ontario Off to an early start at…
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♥ There’s a small town in all of us

Even if you’ve never lived in a small town, you’ve been shaped by one — through a grandparent’s stories, a childhood visit, or a place that just felt like home. We’d love to hear your story.

#TheSmallTownInMe

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Any changes to the place info will be reviewed by 1000 Towns of Canada.