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.

Brianne Theisen-Eaton | Heptathlete
📍 Humboldt, Saskatchewan
Brianne Theisen-Eaton | Heptathlete
From Humboldt, Saskatchewan Brianne Theisen-Eaton is a track and field athlete who competed in the heptathlon and women’s pentathlon. Born in 1988 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan…
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Bruce Ridpath | 1911 Stanley Cup Champion
📍 Selwyn, Ontario
Bruce Ridpath | 1911 Stanley Cup Champion
From Lakefield (Selwyn now), Ontario David Bruce Ridpath was a professional ice hockey player and general manager. Born in 1884 in Lakefield, Ontario Died in 1925…
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Byron Edmund Walker | Banker, Patron of the Arts
📍 Caledonia, Ontario
Byron Edmund Walker | Banker, Patron of the Arts
From Caledonia, Ontario Sir Byron Edmund Walker was a banker, philanthropist, and patron of the arts. He was the president of the Canadian Bank of…
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C. J. Mackenzie | National Research Council President
📍 St. Stephen, New Brunswick
C. J. Mackenzie | National Research Council President
From St. Stephen, New Brunswick Chalmers Jack “C. J.” Mackenzie was the single most important figure in the postwar growth of Canadian science. Born in…
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Calixa Lavallée | O Canada Author
📍 Verchères, Quebec
Calixa Lavallée | O Canada Author
Born into a family of musicians in Verchères, composed the music for "O Canada" in 1880 — the national anthem every Canadian knows by heart.
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Carroll Baker | Singer
📍 Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
Carroll Baker | Singer
From Bridgewater & Liverpool, Nova Scotia Carroll Anne Baker is a country music singer and songwriter. Known as Canada’s First Lady Of Country Music, she…
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Catharine Parr Traill | Writer
📍 Lakefield, Ontario
Catharine Parr Traill | Writer
From Lakefield, Ontario Catharine Parr Traill, née Strickland, was a pioneer writer and naturalist who wrote about life as a settler in Canada. Born in…
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Celine Dion | Singer
📍 Charlemagne, Quebec
Celine Dion | Singer
Youngest of 14 from Charlemagne — became the best-selling Canadian recording artist of all time.
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Chandra Crawford | Olympic Champion
📍 Canmore, Alberta
Chandra Crawford | Olympic Champion
From Canmore, Alberta Chandra Crawford is a cross-country skier. She surprised everyone when she won the gold medal in the free sprint at the Turin…
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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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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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Daniel Petrie | Film Director
📍 Glace Bay, Nova Scotia
Daniel Petrie | Film Director
From Glace Bay, Nova Scotia Daniel Petrie was a television and film director. His signature film A Raisin in the Sun (1961), was nominated for…
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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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