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

ย  ย Scientist & TV Host

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

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

W. Brett Wilson

ย  ย Dragons’ Den Panelist

ย  ย 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

ย  Life of Pi Author

ย  ย Port Hope, Ontario

235 Profiles and Counting

From small towns across Canada

Celebrities, entrepreneurs, artists, athletes โ€” the people who call small-town Canada home.

Jordan McIntosh | Songwriter
๐Ÿ“ Carleton Place, Ontario
Jordan McIntosh | Songwriter
From Carleton Place, Ontario Jordan James McIntosh is a country and pop singer-songwriter from Ottawa. Born in 1995 in Ottawa Based in Carleton Place, Ontario…
Read the story โ†’
George Woolf | Jockey
๐Ÿ“ Cardston, Alberta
George Woolf | Jockey
From Cardston, Alberta George Monroe Woolf, nicknamed “The Iceman”, was a thoroughbred racehorse jockey. Born in 1910 in Cardston, Alberta Died in 1946 in Arcadia,…
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Helen Maksagak | Commissioner of Nunavut
๐Ÿ“ Cambridge Bay, Nunavut
Helen Maksagak | Commissioner of Nunavut
From Cambridge Bay, Nunavut Helen Mamayaok Maksagak served as the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories (Canada) from 1995 until 1999 and as the Commissioner of…
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Frances Ford Seymour | Jane Fondaโ€™s Mother
๐Ÿ“ Brockville, Ontario
Frances Ford Seymour | Jane Fondaโ€™s Mother
From Brockville, Ontario Frances Ford Seymour was a socialite, the second wife of actor Henry Fonda, and the mother of actors Jane Fonda and Peter…
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Duane Andrews | Guitarist
๐Ÿ“ Carbonear, Newfoundland and Labrador
Duane Andrews | Guitarist
From Carbonear, Newfoundland and Labrador Duane Andrews is a guitarist who combined Newfoundland folk music with the swing jazz of the legendary Django Reinhardt. Born…
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Tommy Burns | Boxer
๐Ÿ“ Chesley, Ontario
Tommy Burns | Boxer
From Chesley &ย Hanover, Ontario Tommy Burns, born Noah Brusso, nickname “The Little Giant of Hanover”, is the only Canadian-born World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. UNIQUE VIDEO.…
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R. B. Bennett | 11th Prime Minister of Canada
๐Ÿ“ Chatham, New Brunswick
R. B. Bennett | 11th Prime Minister of Canada
From Chatham, New Brunswick Richard Bedford Bennett, 1st Viscount Bennett was a lawyer, businessperson, politician, and philanthropist. He served as the 11th Prime Minister of…
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Robert Deluce | Porter Airlines Boss
๐Ÿ“ White River, Ontario
Robert Deluce | Porter Airlines Boss
From Chapleau & White River, Ontario Robert J. Deluce is one of Canadaโ€™s most knowledgeable airline owners and operators. He is the president and CEO…
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Helen Kinnear | Judge
๐Ÿ“ Cayuga, Ontario
Helen Kinnear | Judge
From Cayuga, Ontario Helen Alice Kinnear had several firsts in her legal career. She was the first woman in the British Commonwealth to be made…
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Earle Connor | Paralympic Champion
๐Ÿ“ Castlegar, British Columbia
Earle Connor | Paralympic Champion
From Castlegar, British Columbia Earle Connor is a Paralympic sprinter. Connor holds several athletics world records. Born in 1976 in Castlegar, British Columbia Grew up…
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Ed Belfour | Hockey Goalie
๐Ÿ“ Carman, Manitoba
Ed Belfour | Hockey Goalie
From Carman, Manitoba Edward John Belfour is one of the premier goaltenders ever to play in the NHL. His characteristic face mask earned him the…
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Leslie McFarlane | Hardy Boys Author
๐Ÿ“ Haileybury, Ontario
Leslie McFarlane | Hardy Boys Author
From Carleton Place & Haileybury, Ontario Charles Leslie McFarlane was a journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and filmmaker. He is mostly famous for the very successful Hardy…
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โ™ฅ 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 โ€” 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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