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.

William John Wintemberg | Father of Canadian Archaeology
📍 New Dundee, Ontario
William John Wintemberg | Father of Canadian Archaeology
From New Dundee, Ontario William John Wintemberg was an outstanding Canadian archaeologist. Born in 1876 in New Dundee, Ontario Died in 1941 in Ottawa Wintemberg…
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Pierre Berton | Journalist
📍 Whitehorse, Yukon
Pierre Berton | Journalist
From Whitehorse, Yukon Kleinburg, Ontario Pierre Francis de Marigny Berton was a noted author of non-fiction, especially a serious popularizer of Canadian history, and was…
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Félix Leclerc | Chansonnier
📍 La Tuque, Québec
Félix Leclerc | Chansonnier
From La Tuque, Québec Félix Eugène Leclerc, writer, poet, playwright and songwriter, is an icon in Quebec, known to many as the originator of the…
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Kim Campbell | First and Only Female Prime Minister
📍 Port Alberni, British Columbia
Kim Campbell | First and Only Female Prime Minister
From Port Alberni, British Columbia Avril Kim Campbell, née Avril Phaedra Douglas Campbell, is a politician, diplomat, lawyer and writer who served as the 19th…
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Arthur Roy Brown | Fighter Pilot
📍 Carleton Place, Ontario
Arthur Roy Brown | Fighter Pilot
From Carleton Place & Stouffville, Ontario Captain Arthur Roy Brown was a First World War flying ace credited with 11 aerial victories. Born in 1893 in Carleton…
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James Campbell | Clarinetist
📍 Leduc, Alberta
James Campbell | Clarinetist
From Leduc, Alberta James Campbell is a clarinetist. He has more than 40 recordings, a Juno Award, a Roy Thomson Hall Award, Canada’s Artist of…
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Andrew McNaughton | Minister of Defence
📍 Moosomin, Saskatchewan
Andrew McNaughton | Minister of Defence
From Moosomin, Saskatchewan General Andrew George Latta McNaughton served as the Chief of the General Staff of the Canadian Army. Born in 1887 in Moosomin,…
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Robert William Stewart | Ocean Physicist
📍 Smoky Lake, Alberta
Robert William Stewart | Ocean Physicist
From Smoky Lake, Alberta Scientist Robert William Stewart was known internationally for his original work in turbulence, oceanography and meteorology, and was a recognized authority…
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Milton Acorn | The People’s Poet
📍 Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Milton Acorn | The People’s Poet
From Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island Milton James Rhode Acorn, nicknamed The People’s Poet by his peers, was a poet, writer, and playwright. Born in 1923…
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Earl Heywood | No. 1 Cowboy Singer
📍 Wingham, Ontario
Earl Heywood | No. 1 Cowboy Singer
From Exeter, Wingham & Brussels, Ontario Earl (Carlyle) Heywood was a country singer-songwriter, guitarist, broadcaster, known as ‘Canada’s No. 1 Cowboy Singer.’ Born in 1917…
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Joe Clark | Youngest Prime Minister
📍 High River, Alberta
Joe Clark | Youngest Prime Minister
From High River, Alberta Charles Joseph “Joe” Clark is a statesman, businessman, writer, and politician who served as the 16th Prime Minister of Canada (1979-1980).…
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Frère Marie-Victorin | Botanical Garden of Montreal Father
📍 Kingsey Falls, Quebec
Frère Marie-Victorin | Botanical Garden of Montreal Father
From Kingsey Falls, Quebec Frère Marie-Victorin (born Conrad Kirouac) was a member of Brothers of the Christian Schools and a noted botanist. He is known…
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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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