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.

Beckie Scott | Olympic Champion
📍 Canmore, Alberta
Beckie Scott | Olympic Champion
From Vegreville, Vermilion & Canmore, Alberta Rebecca “Beckie” Scott was a cross-country skiing athlete as Canada’s most successful cross-country skier and one of the world’s best all-around…
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Nathan Phillips | Mayor of Toronto
📍 Brockville, Ontario
Nathan Phillips | Mayor of Toronto
From Brockville, Ontario Nathan Phillips was a popular Mayor of Toronto from 1955 to 1962. Born in 1892 in Brockville, Ontario Died in 1976 in…
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Toshiko MacAdam | Textile Artist
📍 Bridgetown, Nova Scotia
Toshiko MacAdam | Textile Artist
From Bridgetown, Nova Scotia Toshiko MacAdam (born Toshiko Horiuchi) is known for her massive, colourful architectural sculptures/playgrounds. Born in 1940 in Japan Lives in Bridgetown,…
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Claude Julien | Hockey Coach
📍 Blind River, Ontario
Claude Julien | Hockey Coach
From Blind River, Ontario Claude Julien is a professional NHL hockey coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens.…
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Nicolas Fontaine | Freestyle Skier
📍 Magog, Quebec
Nicolas Fontaine | Freestyle Skier
From Magog, Quebec By claiming the World Cup Freestyle Aerials title for four consecutive seasons, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000, Nicolas ‘Nico’ Fontaine was the…
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Clyfford Still | Artist
📍 Bow Island, Alberta
Clyfford Still | Artist
From Bow Island, Alberta Clyfford Still was a painter, and one of the leading figures in the first generation of Abstract Expressionists. Born in 1904…
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Antonine Maillet | Novelist, Playwright
📍 Bouctouche, New Brunswick
Antonine Maillet | Novelist, Playwright
From Bouctouche, New Brunswick Antonine Maillet is the foremost voice in literature from the French-speaking Acadian East Coast of Canada. Born in 1929 in Bouctouche,…
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Alex Faulkner | Hockey Player
📍 Bishop’s Falls, Newfoundland and Labrador
Alex Faulkner | Hockey Player
From Bishop’s Falls, Newfoundland Selm Alexander (Alex) Faulkner was the first Newfoundlander to play in the National Hockey League. Born in 1936 in Bishop’s Falls,…
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Robert Tait McKenzie | Fitness Pioneer, Sculptor
📍 Almonte, Ontario
Robert Tait McKenzie | Fitness Pioneer, Sculptor
From Almonte, Ontario Robert Tait McKenzie was an educator, sculptor, orthopedic surgeon, and author. Born in 1867 in Almonte, Canada West (Ontario) Died in 1938…
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Allan Roy Dafoe | Obstetrician
📍 Madoc, Ontario
Allan Roy Dafoe | Obstetrician
From Madoc, Ontario Doctor Allan Roy Dafoe OBE was an obstetrician, best known for delivering and caring for the Dionne quintuplets (People of Small Towns),…
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Duncan McEachran | Veterinarian
📍 Ormstown, Québec
Duncan McEachran | Veterinarian
From Ormstown, Québec Duncan McNab McEachran was a veterinarian and academic. Born in 1841 in Campbeltown, Scotland Died in 1924 in Ormstown, Québec Duncan McEachran…
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Seth | Cartoonist
📍 Clinton, Ontario
Seth | Cartoonist
From Clinton, Ontario Seth is the pen name of Gregory Gallant, one of the foremost cartoonists in North America best known for his series Palookaville…
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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

Municipalities & Tourism Organizations

Your town has people worth celebrating, too

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