- E. J. Hughes
Edward John Hughes, CM, OBC (February 17, 1913 - January 5, 2007) was a Canadian artist. Hughes was born in North Vancouver, British Columbia, and spent a significant part of his childood in Nanaimo, British Columbia. Raised during the Depression he studied at the Vancouver School of Applied Art and Design where he graduated in 1933. His talent was recognized early, one of his teachers was Frederick Varley of the Group of Seven (artists), and another member, Lawren Harris, … - Robert Bateman
Robert Bateman is a Canadian naturalist. He was born in Toronto. Even as a child he was interested in art and wildlife. He found inspiration from the Group of Seven, making abstract paintings of nature. It wasn’t until the mid 1960’s that he changed to his present style, realism. Bateman was always interested in art, but he never intended on making a living from it. He was fascinated by the natural world in his childhood. - Takao Tanabe
Takao Tanabe (16 September 1926) is a Canadian painter. Born in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, the son of a commercial fisherman, he was interned with other Japanese-Canadians in the British Columbia interior during World War II. The subjects of Takao Tanabe's paintings are almost exclusively landscapes of British Columbia. - Jack Shadbolt
Jack Leonard Shadbolt (February 4 1909 - November 22, 1998) was a Canadian painter. Born in Shoeburyness, England, he came to Canada with his parents in 1912, and was raised in Victoria, British Columbia. From 1928 to 1937, he taught in high schools in Duncan, British Columbia and Vancouver, British Columbia. He studied with Frederick Varley at the Vancouver School of Art. - David Suzuki
David Takayoshi Suzuki, CC, OBC, Ph.D (born March 24 1936), is a Canadian science broadcaster and environmental activist. Since the mid 1970s, Suzuki has become known for his TV and radio series and books about nature and the environment. He is best known as host of the popular and long-running CBC Television science magazine, "The Nature of Things", seen in syndication in over 40 nations. - Robert Davidson
Robert Charles Davidson, C.M., O.B.C., D.F.A. (Hon) (born 4 November 1946 in Hydaburg, Alaska), is a Canadian artist of Haida heritage. His specialties are in carving (such as totem poles and masks), sculpture and painting. His parents are Claude and Vivian Davidson and, through Claude, he is the grandson of the Haida artist and memoirist Florence Davidson. He is a member of the Eagle moiety, Ts'ał'lanas lineage. In infancy, he moved to the Haida village of Masset, … - Bill Reid
William (Bill) Ronald Reid was a Canadian jeweler, sculptor and artist. He was born to a father of European descent and a mother from the Haida (one of the First Nations of the Pacific coast) in Victoria, British Columbia. He developed a keen interest in Haida art while working as a radio announcer in Toronto, where he also studied jewelry making, having first learnt about his heritage from his maternal grandfather, who had himself been trained by Charles Edenshaw, … - Tara Singh Hayer
Tara Singh Hayer, O.B.C. (November 15, 1936–November 18, 1998) was a Sikh Canadian newspaper publisher and murder victim. Hayer was born in Paddi Jagir, a small village in Punjab, India. He emigrated to Canada in 1970, where he worked as a miner, teacher, truck-driver, manager of a trucking firm, and journalist before establishing a community newspaper, the "Indo-Canadian Times", in 1978. Hayer supported the creation of Khalistan, an independent, … - Frank Arthur Calder
Frank Arthur Calder, OC, OBC, L.Th, DD (August 3, 1915 - November 4, 2006) was a Nisga'a politician in Canada, the first Status Indian to be elected to any Parliament of Canada. Born in Nass Harbour, British Columbia, Calder was the first Indian to graduate from the Anglican Theological College of the University of British Columbia. He died November 4th, 2006 at an assisted-living home in Victoria from the effects of cancer and recent abdominal surgery. - Iona Campagnolo
Iona Campagnolo, PC, CM, OBC, LL.D "(honoris causa)" (born October 18, 1932) is a Canadian politician, currently the Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia. As The Queen's Vice-Regal Representative in British Columbia, she is styled Her Honour while in office, and The Honourable for life. However, as she was already a Member of The Queen's Privy Council for Canada before she became Lieutenant-Governor, she was already styled The Honourable. - Garde Gardom
Garde Basil Gardom, OBC, QC, LL.B., BA (born July 17, 1924) is a former Canadian politician, lawyer, and Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. Born in Banff, Alberta, he obtained his BA and LLB degrees from the University of British Columbia. During his undergraduate years, he was an active member of the BC Alpha Chapter of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. He practiced law in Vancouver. - Myfanwy Pavelic
Myfanwy Spencer Pavelic (born 27 April 1916, died 7 May 2007) was a Canadian portrait artist. She was one of few Canadian artists who had their work shown at the National Portrait Gallery, where her portrait of Yehudi Menuhin <sup></sup> was displayed. In 1984, she was made a Member of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest civilian honor. In 2001, she was made a Member of the Order of British Columbia. - Joy Kogawa
Joy Nozomi Kogawa (born June 6, 1935) is a Canadian poet and novelist of Japanese descent. Born Joy Nozomi Nakayama in Vancouver, British Columbia, she was sent to internment camps in the Slocan and Coaldale, Alberta during World War II. Although the majority of her writing is poetry, her best-known work is "Obasan" (1981), a semi-autobiographical novel. A sequel, "Itsuka" (1992), was rewritten and retitled "Emily Kato" (2005). - Sarah McLachlan
Sarah Ann McLachlan, OC, OBC (born January 28, 1968) is a Grammy-winning Canadian musician, singer and songwriter. She is known for the emotional sound of her ballads, some of her most popular songs include "Angel", "Building a Mystery", "Adia", "Possession", "Fallen", "I Will Remember You", and "World on Fire". Her best-selling album to date is "Surfacing", for which she won four Juno Awards and two Grammy Awards. - Diana Krall
Singer/pianist Diana Krall got her musical education when she was growing up in Nanaimo, British Columbia, from the classical piano lessons she began at age four and in her high school jazz band, but mostly from her father, a stride piano player with an extensive record collection. "I think Dad has every recording Fats Waller ever made," she said, "and I tried to learn them all." - Rosemary Brown
Rosemary Brown, P.C., O.C., O.B.C., M.S.W., LL.D. (June 17, 1930 - April 26, 2003) was a Canadian politician. Brown was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1930, and moved to Canada in 1951 to study at McGill University in Montreal. She served as an Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in the British Columbia legislature from 1972 to 1986, making her the first Black Canadian woman to be elected to a Canadian provincial legislature. - Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams OC, OBC, (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian rock singer, guitarist, songwriter and photographer. Some of his best-known albums are "Reckless", "18 til I Die", and "Waking Up the Neighbours". Adams was awarded the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia for his contribution to popular music and his philanthropic work. He was also inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 1998, … - Mavor Moore
James Mavor Moore, CC, OBC, BA, D.Litt (March 8, 1919 - December 18, 2006) was a Canadian writer, producer, actor, public servant, critic, and educator. Born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Francis John Moore, an Anglican theologian, and Dora Mavor Moore, who helped establish Canadian professional theatre in the 1930s and 1940s, Moore graduated with a BA from the University of Toronto in 1941. During World War II, he was an intelligence officer. - Ernest Smith
Ernest Alvia ("Smokey") Smith, VC, CM, OBC, CD (3 May,1914 - 3 August, 2005) was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was the last living Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross. - Rick Hansen
Richard Marvin Hansen CC, OBC, LLD "(honoris causa)", D.Litt. "(honoris causa)" (born August 26, 1957) is a Canadian paraplegic athlete and activist for people with spinal cord injuries. Following a car crash at the age of 15, Hansen sustained a spinal cord injury that paralyzed him from the belly button down. Hansen is most famous for his "Man in Motion" world tour. - Bill Bennett
William Richards Bennett, PC, OBC, (born August 18, 1932 in Kelowna, British Columbia) was Premier of the Canadian province of British Columbia 1975-1986. He is the son of the former Premier, W.A.C. Bennett. He was a 3rd cousin, twice removed of Richard Bedford Bennett, eleventh Prime Minister of Canada. - Jane Rule
Jane Vance Rule, C.M., O.B.C. (born March 28, 1931) is a Canadian writer of lesbian-themed novels and non-fiction. Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, Rule studied at Mills College in California. She graduated in 1952, and moved to Canada four years later. There she taught at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 1976, she moved to Galiano Island. Rule served on the executive of the Writers' Union of Canada, … - Thomas R. Berger
Thomas Rodney Berger, OC, OBC (born March 23, 1933) is a Canadian politician of Swedish descent. Berger was the leader of the British Columbia New Democratic Party for most of 1969, prior to David Barrett. Born in Victoria, British Columbia, he was elected to the House of Commons in the 1962 election, representing the riding of Vancouver—Burrard for the New Democratic Party. However, in the 1963 election, he was defeated by Liberal opponent Ron Basford. - Michael Smith
Michael Smith, CC, OBC (April 26, 1932 - October 4, 2000) was a British-born Canadian biochemist who was the 1993 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry. Smith received the Prize for his fundamental contributions to the establishment of oligonucleotide-based, site-directed mutagenesis and its development for protein studies. Born in Blackpool, England, he received his PhD in 1956 from the University of Manchester. - Martha Piper
Martha C. Piper, D.Sc "(honoris causa)", LL.D "(honoris causa)" was the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of British Columbia. She held the position since 1997 and was the 11th person and the first woman to do so. Having been born in Lorain, Ohio, she is also the first person born outside of Canada to have held the position, although she has Canadian citizenship and was made an officer of the Order of Canada in 2002. - Jim Pattison
James (Jimmy) Allen Pattison, CM, OBC, (born October 1, 1928 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) is a Vancouver-based entrepreneur who is the chairman, president, CEO, and sole owner of the Jim Pattison Group. His company, the third largest privately held company in Canada owns numerous car dealerships, Overwaitea Foods and Save-On-Foods, Ripley's Believe it or Not, and radio & TV stations in British Columbia and Alberta. - Douglas Jung
Douglas Jung, CM, OBC, CD (鄭天華, pinyin: Zhèng Tiānhuá) (February 24, 1924 – January 4, 2002) was the first Chinese Canadian Member of Parliament (MP) in the Canadian House of Commons. - Francis John Blatherwick
Dr. Francis John Blatherwick, CM, OBC, C.St.J., CD, MD, F.R.C.P.(C). (born September 11, 1944) was one of Canada's trailblazing leaders in public health and was the longest-serving medical health officer in Canada when he retired. - Lori Fung
Lori Fung Methorst, CM, OBC (馮黎明 born February 21, 1963 in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a Canadian gymnastics coach and retired rhythmic gymnast. At the 1984 Summer Olympics, she was the first gold medal winner awarded for the sport of Rhythmic Gymnastics. She was a coach for the Canadian National Team, U.S.A. National Team, and Mexican National Team. She is currently a director and coach for Club Elite Rhythmic Gymnastics in British Columbia. - Steve Nash
Steven John Nash, OBC (born February 7, 1974), is a Canadian professional basketball player who currently plays point guard for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named NBA Most Valuable Player in 2005 and 2006. Nash had an outstanding high school basketball career, nearly averaging a triple-double per game in his senior season-more than 21 points, 11 assists, … - David Foster
David Walter Foster, OC, OBC, LL.D. (born November 1, 1949 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) is a 14-time Grammy Award winning musician, producer, composer and arranger. From an early age, it was apparent that he would make his mark in the music industry and he began taking piano lessons at the age of 5. As a keyboardist, he established himself in the early 1970s as a sought-after session musician. - Trevor Linden
Trevor Linden, OBC, (ancestrally "van der Linden") (born April 11, 1970 in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He plays centre and right wing. - Emery Barnes
Emery Barnes (December 15, 1929 - July 1, 1998) was a football player and Canadian politician. Born in Louisiana and raised in Oregon, Barnes was a gifted athlete, and was an alternate hi-jumper for the 1952 US Olympic Track and Field team. He played football at the University of Oregon (from where he received his B.Sc) and was drafted by the NFL's Green Bay Packers in 1954 (10th round, 207th overall.) He played 2 games for the Packers in 1956, … - Henry Pybus Bell-Irving
Henry Pybus "Budge" Bell-Irving, OC, DSO, OBE, OBC, ED, CD, D.Sc.M. (January 21, 1913 - September 21, 2002) was Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia from 1978 to 1983. Born in Vancouver, he was educated at Shawnigan Lake School on Vancouver Island and Loretto at Musselburgh, Scotland. He returned to attend the University of British Columbia, but dropped out due to the war. - Ken McVay
Ken McVay OBC (b. ca. 1940), a Canadian-American dual citizen, is one of the Internet's foremost experts on the subject of Holocaust denial and the methods used by deniers to promote it. He is the founder of the Nizkor Project, one of the first (and largest) World Wide Web sites against Holocaust denial. One of the most active participants on the newsgroup "alt.revisionism", … - George Bowering
George Harry Bowering (born December 1, 1935) is a prolific Canadian novelist, poet, historian, and biographer. He was born in Penticton, British Columbia, and raised in the nearby town of Oliver, where his father was a high-school chemistry teacher. Bowering is one of a group of poets including Frank Davey, Fred Wah, Jamie Reid, and David Dawson who were together at the University of British Columbia in the 1950s. There they founded the journal "Tish". - Geoffrey Ballard
Geoffrey Ballard, CM, OBC (born 1932) is a Canadian businessman and the founder of Ballard Power Systems, where he served as chairman until 1997. His work, along of that of his fellow founders of Ballard Power, on PEMFC development is his most well-known. Born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, he is acknowledged worldwide as the father of the fuel cell industry. He has numerous publications and patents to his credit and is a Member of the Order of Canada. - Peter Wing
Peter Wing, C.M., O.B.C. (born 1914) was the first mayor of Chinese descent in North America. Elected as an Alderman in 1960, he served as Mayor of Kamloops, British Columbia for 3 terms starting in 1966. In 1976, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada and was awarded the Order of British Columbia in 1990. - Dorothy Livesay
Dorothy Kathleen May Livesay, OC, OBC, M.Ed, D.Litt, FRSC (12 October 1909 - 29 December 1996) was a Canadian poet. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the daughter of J.F.B. Livesay and Florence Randal Livesay, she moved to Toronto, Ontario with her family in 1920. Livesay received a BA in 1931 from Trinity College in the University of Toronto and received a diploma from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Social Work in 1934. - Ken Georgetti
Kenneth (Ken) V. Georgetti (born 1952, Trail, British Columbia) is a Canadian labour union leader. He was elected president of the Canadian Labour Congress in May of 1999. Georgetti arrived at the head of the Canadian Labour Congress after a quarter century of union activism in British Columbia, home to Canada's most polarized politics and of a vibrant labour movement. Born in Trail, in the southern interior of the province, …
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