What we admire mirrors the forces and values that characterize society , a look Canada's heroes can help  understand  the history, attitudes, and events that have shaped this country so let's have a look at a few.

Terry’s studies in kinesiology were interrupted by his diagnosis of bone cancer which resulted in his right leg being amputated six inches above the  knee. He decided to go on a cross-Canada run to bring attention to  the suffering caused by cancer. On April 12^th, 1980 Terry Fox  began his "Marathon of Hope".  On September 1^st, 1980, Terry's  run was cut short because the cancer migrated to his lungs.

He died on June 28^th, 1981, one month before his 23^rd birthday.  The Marathon of Hope raised $24.17 million for cancer research.

Today, he is commemorated through numerous awards, research grants, and an annual fund-raising run held in 60 countries in his name.

Riel founded the Comité National des Métis to protect his people’s rights in 1869. He was exiled to the United States for helping to stage the Red River Uprising. He later returned to be a self proclaimed prophet of the people set up a provisional government and became involved in the rebellion of 1885. The rebellion was quickly crushed shortly after Canadian government began using military force and Riel surrendered. His  trial and execution sparked bitterness and debate. He is described as a visionary and madman, victim and villain. Louis Riel has come to be seen as a combination of martyr and hero in the eyes of many Canadians. If you happen to be in Saskatchewan check out the museum's and exhibits at Duck lake and Batoche  their very rich and bring to life the rebellion of 1885, when at Batoche don't miss the show they put on!

Pound Maker may well have been one of the most sensible and under rated men in Canadian history. He had an innate wisdom and was a noble man. Cree chief and greatest hunter of his day, Poundmaker showed his concern for the future of his people in his reluctance to accept Treaty # 6. He wanted peace with the whites and his call for restraint saved many lives in the North-West Rebellion, that was bourn out of frustration over government mismanagement, which came to a head at the battle of Cut-Knife Creek. His reward for acting as a peacemaker and defender of his people was being jailed for treason. His captors either didn't realise or were to bent on their motives to see Poundmaker could have been a strong and loyal ally who only wanted the best. for everyone. He died shortly after his release an embittered and broken man. Not till after his death was he acknowledged for his uncompromising role as a peacemaker as is the case of so many of Canada's greatest historical figures

This man was a  visionary who's ideas are still implemented today not just by Canada but by the world!  Fleming emigrated to Canada from Kirkaldy, Scotland. He was a great academic and cultural thinker he is responsible for proposing the present system of standard time, by which the world is divided into 24 equal time zones and was adopted in 1884.   He  proposed a railway to the Pacific and played a leading role in it's construction. He designed "Three-Penny Beaver," Canada’s first adhesive postage stamp in 1851 and played a central role in our scientific and cultural life

The strongest man in history never backed down from a challenge and was undefeated in Canada and abroad. His greatest feat was to  use his back to lift 4337 pounds.  He rose to fame before weightlifting became a Olympic sport  "Cyr’s records remain uncontested and incontestable" author Ben Weider ~The Strongest Man in History: Louis Cyr, 1976, p. 94).

Rosemary came to Canada in the 1950s and studied law at McGill University in Montreal. She was the first black woman to be elected to political office in Canada when she won  seat in the BC provincial legislature in 1972. She acts a leader in the  struggle for the rights of women, men and children everywhere and to make equality for everyone a reality.

In the dim light of a stormy dawn in October, 1891, a frightening spectacle greeted the early risers of Sydney Mines. The thrashing white surf was pounding apart a fishing schooner stuck fast in shallow water some distance offshore. The limp figures of her crew could just be made out, lashed to the rigging above the wave-swept decks.

 The miners built fires and launched a small whale boat into the surf. However, it was too light a craft for the heavy surf and was repeatedly overturned and swept back.

The schooner was the Hilda Maude and her crew of nine were getting desperate. Waves had ripped all four of their sturdy dory boats off the deck and scattered them in smashed pieces on the beach. One of the sailors, Rufus Parks, volunteered to swim ashore for help. The captain objected to what seemed like a suicide mission, but Parks pointed out that he was the most powerful swimmer, and the only single man on board. Parks stripped to his underwear and dove into the freezing maelstorm. As he neared the breaking waves, his feet just touching bottom, he collapsed in the cold. The undertow started to take him, but just in time the strong arms of miners pulled him from the surf.

Warm clothing, food and drink soon revived Parks and then he had to confront the chances of a rescue, He eyed the wreckage on the beach and then called for hammer and nails. Salvaging pieces of three dories, he rebuilt the least damaged dory right on the windswept sand.

Only the strong V-shaped wooden sides of a dory could withstand the crushing waves - men in dories have survived storms that sank large schooners. With a fast launch by the men on the beach, Parks got through the waves in his dory and single-handedly rowed to his dying schooner. Returning again and again, he rescued every man, the captain last of all.

News of Parks' superhuman exploits that day soon spread far and wide. In fact, the Parliament of Canada eventually had a silver watch made for the fisherman who did the impossible three times

Johnny Canuk was the personification of Canada in early political cartoons, emerged in 1869 as a younger, simpler cousin to America’s Uncle Sam 

Captain Canuk

wore "electro-thermic underwear," and worked  with Quebecois counterpart — Capitaine Kébec, and avoided conflict whenever possible

Sasquatch

A wild man who resembles a cross between man and ape The name "Sasquatch" itself likely derives from "sesqec", From the Salish people who lived near where Seattle is today

Jos. Montferrand also known as Joe Mufferaw

defender of the rights of the Canadiens on the Ottawa River became a legend as the all-time giant of Canadian log-drivers. In 1828, in a Montreal bar, Jos. Montferrand accepted a challenge from British Army Major Jones,  who advertised his profound disdain for the Canadians. with each mighty blow, Jos roared, “Any more insults for the Canadiens?” Since then his legend has grown and is often subject to exageration

Anne Of Green Gables

the creation of Lucy Maud Montgomery and the darling of P.E.I. Anne is a lovable orphan who is imaginative clumsy romantic and never ceases to get herself into some kind of hilarious situation or deep trouble through good intentions gone bad