Every small town has a story. We've mapped984of 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

Bobby Orr Bobby Orr · Parry Sound W. Brett Wilson W. Brett Wilson · Battleford Yann Martell Yann Martell · Port Hope Tom Thomson Tom Thomson · Owen Sound Joni Mitchell Joni Mitchell · Fort Macleod David Suzuki David Suzuki · Leamington Wayne Gretzky Wayne Gretzky · Brantford Alexander Graham Bell Alexander Graham Bell · Brantford Stompin Tom Stompin’ Tom · Skinners Pond Farley Mowat Farley Mowat · Port Hope

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.

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,…
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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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Geoff Ward | Hockey Coach
📍 Manitouwadge, Ontario
Geoff Ward | Hockey Coach
From Manitouwadge, Ontario Geoff Ward is an assistant coach for the New Jersey Devils, and a former assistant coach for the Boston Bruins of the…
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George Fox | Country Singer
📍 Cochrane, Alberta
George Fox | Country Singer
From Cochrane, Alberta William George Fox is a country/western music singer/songwriter. He was a leading figure in Canadian country music in the late 1980s and…
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George Lyon | Golfer
📍 Richmond, Ontario
George Lyon | Golfer
From Richmond, Ontario George Seymour Lyon is an Olympic gold medallist, an eight-time Canadian Amateur Championship winner, and a member of Canada’s Sports Hall of…
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George Orton | Canada’s First Olympic Champion
📍 Strathroy, Ontario
George Orton | Canada’s First Olympic Champion
From Strathroy, Ontario George Washington Orton was a middle-distance runner. In 1900, he became Canada’s first Olympic gold medal winner. Born in 1873 in Strathroy,…
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George Woolf | Jockey
📍 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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George-Étienne Cartier | Father of Confederation
📍 Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Quebec
George-Étienne Cartier | Father of Confederation
From Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Quebec Sir George-Étienne Cartier, 1st Baronet, was a lawyer, rebel, railway promoter, statesman and one of the Fathers of Confederation. Born in 1814…
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Gilles Carle | Director, Screenwriter
📍 Maniwaki, Quebec
Gilles Carle | Director, Screenwriter
From Maniwaki, Québec Gilles Carle was a key figure in the development of Québec cinema, one of the most prolific and important talents in the…
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Gilles Ste-Croix | Cirque du Soleil Co-creator
📍 La Sarre, Quebec
Gilles Ste-Croix | Cirque du Soleil Co-creator
Co-founded Cirque du Soleil in Baie-Saint-Paul — and walked 90 km to Quebec City on stilts to make it happen.
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Glen Sharpley | Hockey Center
📍 Huntsville, Ontario
Glen Sharpley | Hockey Center
From Huntsville, Ontario Glen Stuart Sharpley was an ice hockey player who played only 286 games in NHL with the Minnesota North Stars and Chicago…
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Glenn Howard | Curler
📍 Tiny, Ontario
Glenn Howard | Curler
From Midland & Tiny, Ontario Glenn William Howard is Four-time Canadian and World Curling Champion. 2019. Best Curling Shot by Glenn Howard Born in 1962 in…
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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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