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

"

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

"

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

"

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.

Diana Krall | Jazz Singer
📍 Nanaimo, British Columbia
Diana Krall | Jazz Singer
From: Nanaimo, British Columbia Diana Jean Krall is a jazz pianist and singer, known for her contralto vocals. Born in 1964 in Nanaimo, British Columbia…
Read the story →
Frederick Banting | Insulin Co-discoverer
📍 Alliston, Ontario
Frederick Banting | Insulin Co-discoverer
From Alliston, London, Ontario Sir Frederick Grant Banting is a Nobel Laureate noted as co-discoverer of insulin and its therapeutic potential. Born in 1891 in Alliston,…
Read the story →
Ron Joyce | Tim Hortons Co-Founder
📍 Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia
Ron Joyce | Tim Hortons Co-Founder
From: Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia Ronald V. Joyce is best known as the entrepreneur who, in 1964, invested in the first Tim Hortons donut shop in…
Read the story →
Wilfrid Laurier | 7th Prime Minister of Canada
📍 Saint-Lin-Laurentides, Quebec
Wilfrid Laurier | 7th Prime Minister of Canada
From Saint-Lin–Laurentides QC Sir Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier, lawyer, journalist, politician, was the 7th Prime Minister of Canada, in office from July 1896, to October…
Read the story →
Margaret Marshall Saunders | Children’s Writer
📍 Berwick, Nova Scotia
Margaret Marshall Saunders | Children’s Writer
From Milton & Berwick NS Margaret Marshall Saunders was a prolific writer of children’s stories and romance novels, a lecturer, and an animal rights advocate.…
Read the story →
K. C. Irving | Industrialist
📍 Bouctouche, New Brunswick
K. C. Irving | Industrialist
From Bouctouche NB Kenneth Colin Irving, also known as K. C. Irving was one of Canada’s foremost entrepreneurs of the 20th century. He ranked as…
Read the story →
Marie-Philip Poulin | Olympic Champion
📍 Beauceville, Quebec
Marie-Philip Poulin | Olympic Champion
From Beauceville, Quebec Marie-Philip Poulin-Nadeau is an ice hockey forward. Poulin as a member of the Canada women’s national ice hockey team won the gold…
Read the story →
Evangeline Lilly | Actress
📍 Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta
Evangeline Lilly | Actress
From Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta Nicole Evangeline Lilly is an actress and author. She received a Golden Globe nomination for her role as Kate Austen in…
Read the story →
Joseph-Armand Bombardier | Snowmobile Inventor
📍 Valcourt, Quebec
Joseph-Armand Bombardier | Snowmobile Inventor
From Valcourt QC Joseph-Armand Bombardier was a French-Canadian inventor and businessman, the founder of Bombardier manufacturer of regional airliners, business jets, and equipment for public…
Read the story →
Stephen Leacock | Humorist
📍 Sutton, Ontario
Stephen Leacock | Humorist
From Sutton, Orillia ON Stephen P. H Butler Leacock was the best-known English-speaking humorist in the world between the years 1915 and 1925. Born in…
Read the story →
Joseph Boyd Martin | Dean of Harvard Medical School
📍 Bassano, Alberta
Joseph Boyd Martin | Dean of Harvard Medical School
From Bassano AB Joseph Boyd Martin is the Edward R. and Anne G. Lefler Professor Emeritus of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School. He served as…
Read the story →
Bobby Clarke | Hockey Player
📍 Flin Flon, Manitoba
Bobby Clarke | Hockey Player
From Flin Flon MB Robert Earle Clarke is one of the greatest hockey players and captains of all time. He had a famous, captivating smile…
Read the story →
logo 1000 (900 x 180 px) (300 x 300 px)

♥ 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

Municipalities & Tourism Organizations

Your town has people worth celebrating, too

Person profiles are one of the most visited sections on our platform. A partnership puts your community’s stories in front of 132,000 travellers a year — through profiles, town pages, and Google search advertising.

Who Are You?

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