Most of us would take a whole year to plan a marathon run. Training everyday for it. Well, Terry ran a marathon everyday for the cure of cancer. This itself would be extraordinary, but Terry had another hurdle, he had only 1 leg due to cancer. He faced adversity everyday and battled the elements. In my opinion, he is what ultimately defines and embodies what Canada strives to be, a heroic and noble nation.
The Greatest Canadian
In the winter of 2004 CBC(Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) brought us the series “The Greatest Canadian.” It was basically “American Idol” but instead of the would be William Hung’s it would be Canada’s great’s. Every week the CBC would air an episode dedicated to one of the top ten candidates. In each of these episodes there would be an advocate who defended and told us why we should choose their candidate as “the greatest Canadian.”
Here are your top ten candidates and a little about them:
Pierre Trudeau
The charismatic Trudeau armed with a great intelligence allowed him to remain in power for nearly 16 years. During his reign as prime minister he never shied away from his goal to create a unified and just Canada. He was a prime minister who promoted bilingualism, getting rid of separatism, and the creation of the Canadian Constitution and Charter of Rights.
David Suzuki
Most of us know David Suzuki as the host of CBC’s “The Nature of Things.” He is an author of more then 20 books and is reputably known as the “gladiatorial geneticist” who mixes education with entertainment. The passionate David Suzuki has definitely deserved the title “environmental guru” for two Canadian generations.
Lester B. Pearson
During his 5 years as prime minister Lester B. Pearson oversaw the introduction of the Canadian Pension Plan, the Bilingualism and Biculturalism Commission, national medicare, the national labour code, and our modern day maple leaf flag. If all this wasn’t enough, he received a Nobel Peace Prize in 1956 as the pinnacle of his achievements.
Sir John A. Macdonald
Macdonald is best known for as our first prime minister of Canada and our founding father. He was able to unite the French and English who joined together to construct the Canadian Pacific Railway(CPR). The characteristics that made Macdonald such as great leader are the same as what defines Canada as a nation.
Wayne Gretzky
He is the greatest scorer/player in the NHL. He broke over 4-dozen records and accumulated nearly 3000 points. Gretzky has won 4 Stanley Cups and has held or shared 61 NHL records. He is a great role model for he serves countless charities and his own foundation helps those unable to play hockey, play hockey.
Terry Fox
Terry Fox began the Marathon of Hope on the morning of April 12, 1980. Fox’s amazing journey had taken him through the Atlantic provinces, Quebec and Ontario, until he stopped just outside Ontario because he felt a pain in his chest. At that point he had ran 5376 kilometres and raised $24.7 million dollars for cancer research. Sadly, on June 28, 1981 with his family beside him, he passed away.
Tommy Douglas
In his 40 year of politics, Tommy Douglas firmly devoted himself to social causes. With his inspiring and motivating speeches and witty charm he had become a popular political force. Through his first appearance in public politics in 1934 to his post retirement days in the 1970’s he always stayed to true to socialist beliefs. We especially know Tommy Douglas as the father of Medicare.
Don Cherry
Starting out as a hockey player, leading up to a successful NHL coaching career Don Cherry has gained much respect throughout Canada. Don Cherry soon found that his passion lied in the television screen. Outspoken, outrageous, and sometimes even outlandish, Cherry has been called even worse in his 24 years with CBC’s “Hockey Night in Canada.”
Alexander Graham Bell
On March 10, 1876 the lines “Mr.Watson, come here, I need you.” made history because they were the first words to be transmitted via telegraph. After patenting his first invention(the telephone) and giving a demonstration of the telephone at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876, he went on to form the Bell Telephone Company in 1877.
Frederick Banting
Sir Frederick Banting is known as the man who discovered insulin, bringing a new light to diabetics all over the world. His groundbreaking research in the 1920s brought him fame worldwide and a lifetime of payments from the government. In addition, he earned a knighthood in the British crown which gave him the “Sir” and Canada’s first ever Nobel Peace Prize in medicine.
With no more “Hockey in Night in Canada” most people should know the winner by now. But to those who didn’t watch the greatest Canadian the winner is…….”after this commercial.” CBC’s “The Greatest Canadian” was brought to you in part by Subway: Eat Fresh and AirCanada. So with no further adieu the *drumroll* the winner of CBC’s “The Greatest Canadian” is the father of Medicare Tommy C. Douglas!
If there is any typos, grammar errors, or anything, please let me know. Thx in advance.
