List of people from Ottawa explained

This is a list of notable people who are associated with Ottawa, Ontario, Canada:

A

Name	Birth year	Death year	Description	Image	Refs
Hugh Acheson	1971		Chef		[1]
Bill Adkins	circa 1889	1982	Stage manager
Thomas Ahearn	1855	1938	Inventor and businessman, holder of several patents, driving force behind Ottawa's streetcar system
Sulekha Ali			Singer
Frank Amyot	1904	1962	Sportsperson, Canada's only gold medal winner from the 1936 Summer Olympics
Thomas Victor Anderson	1881	1972	Former Chief of the Army Staff
Paul Anka	1941		Singer
Eli Ankou	1994		NFL player
Margaret Atwood	1939		Writer
Eva Avila	1987		Singer, 4th season Canadian Idol champion
Dan Aykroyd	1952		Comedian, singer, actor and screenwriter
Peter Aylen	1799	1868	Businessperson, timber producer

B

Name	Birth year	Death year	Description	Image	Refs
Janis Babson	1950	1961	Organ donor, subject of two books
Jamie Baker	1966		Former NHL player
Jay Baruchel	1983		Actor, screenwriter, comedian
Brendan Bell	1983		NHL and AHL player
Belly	1984		Rapper
Clint Benedict	1892	1976
Louis-Théodore Besserer	1785	1861	Lieutenant during War of 1812, notary, political figure, land use developer in neighbourhood now known as Sandy Hill
Braddish Billings	1783	1864	Early settler for whom the community of Billings Bridge was named
Elkanah Billings	1820	1876	Paleontologist
Thomas Birkett	1844	1920	Former mayor of Ottawa and member of the House of Commons of Canada
Robert Blackburn	1828	1894	Lumber merchant and a member of the House of Commons of Canada
Fedir Bohatyrchuk	1892	1984	Chess master and politician
John Rudolphus Booth	1827	1925	Lumber and railway baron
Mark Borowiecki	1989		NHL player
Billy Boucher	1899	1958	Former NHL player
Mark Bourrie	1957		Author, journalist and lawyer
Matt Bradley	1978		Former NHL player
Fred Brathwaite	1972		Former NHL player
Rod Brind'Amour	1970		Former NHL player
Dave Brockie	1963	2014	Frontman for metal band Gwar
Maurice Brodie	1903	1939	Polio researcher
Erskine Henry Bronson	1844	1920	Businessperson and politician
Henry Franklin Bronson	1817	1889	Lumber baron
Élisabeth Bruyère	1818	1876	Founder of the Sisters of Charity of Bytown, the city's first hospital, and the first bilingual school in Ontario
Chris Bumstead	1995		Canadian bodybuilder with six back to back Mr. Olympia Classic Physique wins (2019–2024)		[2] [3]
Nathan Burgoine			Writer
Thomas Burrowes	1796	1866	Artist, noted for artworks he created while serving as a surveyor and overseer during the construction of the Rideau Canal
Tom Butler	1951		Actor
John By	1779	1836	Lieutenant colonel, overseer of the construction of the canal and founder of the city
Paul Byron	1989		Forward for Montreal Canadiens

C

Name	Birth year	Death year	Description	Image	Refs
Ernie Calcutt	1932	1984	Ottawa Rough Riders announcer on CFRA radio, Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame inductee		[4] [5]
Hélène Campbell	1991		Organ donation campaigner
Noah Cantor	1971		Former CFL player
John Carling	1828	1911	Founder of the Ontario Agricultural College and the Central Experimental Farm
Bruce Cassidy	1965		Former NHL player and Current NHL Head Coach of the Vegas Golden Knights
Tom Cavanagh	1963		Actor
Cody Ceci	1993		NHL player
Parri Ceci	1961		CFL player
Sarah Chalke	1976		Actress
Keshia Chanté	1988		Singer-songwriter, television personality, actress
Bob Chiarelli	1941		Politician, former mayor of Ottawa
King Clancy	1903	1986	Former NHL player, referee, coach, and executive
Catherine Clark	1976		Television broadcaster and daughter of former Prime Minister Joe Clark
Bryan Cochrane	1957		Curler
Bruce Cockburn	1945		Folk/rock guitarist and singer-songwriter
Samantha Cogan	1997		Ice hockey player for PWHL Toronto
Eldon Coombe	1941		Curler
Bill Cowley	1912	1993	Hall of Fame hockey star, NHL scoring champion 1941, founder of Ottawa 67's
Alex Cullen	1951		Politician, former MPP and member of Ottawa City Council
Barry Cullen	1935		Former NHL player
Brian Cullen	1933		Former NHL player
Elisha Cuthbert	1982		Actress

D

Name	Birth year	Death year	Description	Image	Refs
Gabriela Dabrowski	1992		Tennis player
			Established a village in the region of Bearbrook in 1854
Jack Darragh	1890	1924	Former NHL player
Jonathan David	2000		Canada men's national soccer team player		[6]
Bruce Delaney			Curler
Paul Dewar	1963	2019	Politician, former MP
Gabrielle Diana	1999		Social media influencer and transgender rights activist
Clive Doucet	1946		Writer and politician
Pierre Dufault	1934		Radio-Canada journalist and sports commentator		[7]
Cecil Duncan	1893	1979	Canadian Amateur Hockey Association president		[8]
James Duthie	1966		Sportscaster on TSN

E

Name	Birth year	Death year	Description	Image	Refs
Ben Eager	1984		NHL and AHL player
Kathleen Edwards	1978		Singer-songwriter and musician
	1811	1857	Businessman and politician
	1847	1917	Farmer and teamster turned outlaw

F

Name	Birth year	Death year	Description	Image	Refs
John Fauquier	1909	1981	Aviator and Royal Canadian Air Force bomber pilot
Shulamith Firestone	1945	2012	Radical feminist, writer and activist
Graham Fraser	1946		Journalist and Commissioner of Official Languages

G

Name	Birth year	Death year	Description	Image	Refs
Jeremy Gara	1978		Drummer for Arcade Fire
Chris Gardner	1985		Curler
Brendan Gillanders	1990		CFL player
Paul Girodo	1973		CFL player
Wallis Giunta	1985		Opera singer
Igor Gouzenko	1919	1982	Soviet defector
Luba Goy	1945		Humanitarian, actress, comedian, Royal Canadian Air Farce
Tom Green	1971		Actor, comedian, media personality
Lorne Greene	1915	1987	Actor and musician
Nancy Greene	1943		Skier and member of the Senate of Canada
Erik Gudbranson	1992		Ice hockey player for the Columbus Blue Jackets

H

Name	Birth year	Death year	Description	Image	Refs
George Hamilton	1781	1839	Lumber baron and politician
William Hamilton		1822	Lumber baron and politician
Jenn Hanna	1980		Curler
Elisabeth Harvor	1936		Novelist and poet
Anne Heggtveit	1939		Alpine skier, gold medallist in the slalom at the 1960 Winter Olympics
Robert Hervey	1820	1903	Lawyer and third mayor of Bytown
Edward James Gibson Holland	1878	1948	Recipient of the Victoria Cross in 1900
Diane Holmes			Former member of Ottawa City Council
Jessica Holmes	1973		Comedian and actress
Rachel Homan	1989		Curler; 4-time and Current World Champion and 2 time Olympian Skip
Edgar Lewis Horwood	1868	1957	Architect, served as Chief Dominion Architect 1915–1917
Andrew Huang	1984		Youtuber, musician
William H. Hurdman	1818	1901	Entrepreneur and community leader

J

Name	Birth year	Death year	Description	Image	Refs
Donald Jackson	1940		Olympic figure skater
Russ Jackson	1936		Former CFL player
James Johnston		1849	Businessman and politician
Hans W. Jung	1958		Former Canadian Surgeon General

K

Name	Birth year	Death year	Description	Image	Refs
Dan Kanter	1981		Musician, songwriter, producer, musical director and lead guitarist for Justin Bieber
Wilbert Keon	1935	2019	Heart surgeon, researcher, and former member of the Senate of Canada
Brian Kilrea	1934		Former AHL player and OHL coach and general manager
Bruce Kirby	1929	2021	Yacht designer, dinghy and offshore racer and journalist
Halder Kirby	1863	1924	Former AHAC player, doctor, and druggist
Jason Kralt	1974		Former CFL player
John Kruspe	1943		Former CFL player, public administrator, historian
Zion Kuwonu	1999		Singer, producer, Boygroup (Prettymuch)

L

Name	Birth year	Death year	Description	Image	Refs
Bernie LaBarge	1953		Guitarist and singer-songwriter
Keith J. Laidler	1916	2003	Pioneer in chemical kinetics and authority on the physical chemistry of enzymes
Brent Laing	1978		Curler
Denis Lapalme			Paralympic athlete, actor
Clarissa Larisey	1999		Soccer player for Canada		[9]
Craig Lauzon			Actor, writer, and comedian
Andrew Leamy	1810	1868	Pioneer industrialist and community leader in Wrightstown, Lower Canada (Hull, Quebec)
Lou Lefaive	1928	2002	Canadian sports administrator and civil servant		[10]
David Lemieux	1970		Archivist, legacy manager, producer for the Grateful Dead
Devon Levi	2001		Ice hockey goalkeeper
Jesse Levine	1987		Canadian/US tennis player
J. E. Stanley Lewis	1888	1970	Former mayor of Ottawa
Rich Little	1938		Impressionist and voice actor
Donal Logue	1965		Actor
Chris Lovasz	1980		Internet personality

M

Name	Birth year	Death year	Description	Image	Refs
Eddie MacCabe	1927	1998	Sports journalist and writer with the Ottawa Journal and Ottawa Citizen		[11] [12]
Flora MacDonald	1926	2015	Humanitarian, politician, first female foreign minister in Canada
Neil Macdonald	1957		Journalist
Norm Macdonald	1959	2021	Stand-up comedian, writer, producer and actor
Steve MacLean	1954		Former astronaut and President of the Canadian Space Agency
Edward Malloch	1801	1867	Merchant and politician
Elizabeth Manley	1965		Olympic figure skater
Peter Mansbridge	1948		Broadcaster and news anchor
Blaine Marchand	1949		Writer and poet
	1943		Daughter of Queen Juliana and sister of Queen Beatrix
Kristina Maria	1989		Singer-songwriter
K. C. Martel	1967		Actor
Bruce Matthews	1909	1991	Businessman and militia artillery officer
Terry Matthews	1943		Business magnate and entrepreneur
Trevor Matthews	1982		Film producer and actor
Derek McCulloch	1964		Author of graphic novels, comics, books for children, and plays
Dawn McEwen	1980		Curler, gold medalist at the 2014 Winter Olympics
Frank McGee	1882	1916	Former ice hockey player
Edward McGillivray	1815	1885	Second mayor of Ottawa
Dalton McGuinty	1955		Former politician and Premier of Ontario
David McGuinty	1960		Lawyer and politician
Gavin McInnes	1970		Founder of the far-right neo-fascist Proud Boys group
Thomas McKay	1792	1855	Businessman and one of the founders of Ottawa
Bob McKeown	1950		Former CFL player, journalist, investigative reporter, producer of NBC's Dateline, CBC's The Fifth Estate; documentary filmmaker
Daniel McLachlin	1810	1872	Businessman and politician
Earl McRae	1942	2011	Journalist
Jean-Michel Ménard	1976		Curler
Anne Merklinger	1958		Curler and CEO of Own the Podium
Marc Methot	1985		NHL player
Stevie Mikayne			Writer
Hugh Millikin	1957		Curler trained in Ottawa
Emma Miskew	1989		Curler
Rich Moffatt			Curler
Vanessa Morgan	1992		Actor
John Morris	1978		Curler and 2010 Winter Olympics gold medalist
Alanis Morissette	1974		Singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress
Hannah Moscovitch	1978		Playwright, author, dramatist
Alex Munter	1968		Former politician and journalist, CEO of CHEO

• Elijah Mitrou-Long (born 1996), Canadian-Greek basketball player for Hapoel Holon of the Israeli Basketball Premier League

N

Name	Birth year	Death year	Description	Image	Refs
Yasir Naqvi	1973		Politician
Evan Nepean	1752	1822	Politician and colonial administrator

O

Name	Birth year	Death year	Description	Image	Refs
Larry O'Brien	1949		Businessman and former mayor of Ottawa
William Ogilvie	1846	1912	Dominion land surveyor, explorer, and Commissioner of the Yukon Territory
Sandra Oh	1971		Actress

P

Name	Birth year	Death year	Description	Image	Refs
Jean-Gabriel Pageau	1992		Hockey athlete, forward for New York Islanders
Jesse Palmer	1978		Sports commentator and former NFL player
Richard Reed Parry	1977		Multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and member of Arcade Fire
Frank Patrick	1885	1960	Former NHL player, coach, and general manager
David Pattee	1778	1851	Businessman, judge, and politician
George Halsey Perley	1857	1938	Politician and diplomat
William Goodhue Perley	1820	1890	Businessman and politician
Matthew Perry	1969	2023	Actor
Jean Pigott	1924	2012	Politician and businessperson
Denis Potvin	1953		Former NHL player
Jean Potvin	1949	2022	Former NHL player
Gabrielle Poulin	1929	2015	Writer		[13]
	1875	1940	Athlete and award winner in multiple sports
Simon Pulsifer	1981		English Wikipedia contributor

R

Name	Birth year	Death year	Description	Image	Refs
Bob Rae	1948		Lawyer and former Premier of Ontario
George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie	1770	1838	Soldier and colonial administrator, former Governor of Nova Scotia, Governor General of British North America, and Commander-in-Chief, India
Joachim von Ribbentrop	1893	1946	Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nazi Germany, lived in Ottawa prior to World War I and fled Canada to avoid internment as an enemy alien.[14]
Alexander Robillard	1843	1907	Politician
Melanie Robillard	1982		Curler
Randy Robitaille	1975		Former NHL player
John Rochester	1822	1894	Businessman, politician, and former mayor of Ottawa
Erin Roger			Scientist
Shelagh Rogers	1956		Radio broadcaster
James Rolfe	1967		Composer
Cristine Rotenberg	1988		YouTube personality
Kelly Rowan	1965		Actress and former fashion model
Roger Rowley	1914	2007	Commanded the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders in 1944–1945
Derek Roy	1983		NHL player
Kelleigh Ryan	1987		Fencer		[15]

S

Name	Birth year	Death year	Description	Image	Refs
Joëlle Sabourin	1972		Curler
Martin St. Pierre	1983		Former NHL player
Marc Savard	1977		Former NHL player
Craig Savill	1978		Curler
Andrew Scott	1967		Drummer for Sloan
Barbara Ann Scott	1928	2012	Figure skater and gold medalist at the 1948 Winter Olympics		[16]
John Scott	1822	1857	Politician, first mayor of Bytown
Richard William Scott	1825	1913	Lawyer and politician
Melinda Shankar	1992		Actress
Hamby Shore	1886	1918	Former ice hockey player
James Sieveright	1812		Farmer and community leader
James Skead	1817	1884	Businessman and politician
Elizabeth Smart	1913	1986	Poet and novelist
Shane Smith	1970		Co-founder and CEO of VICE Media
Trevor Smith	1985		NHL player
Sasha Sokolov	1943		Writer
Nicholas Sparks	1794	1862	Businessman and politician
Bruce Stuart	1881	1961	Former ice hockey player
Ivonka Survilla	1936		President of the Belarusian People's Republic (BNR), the Belarusian government in exile
Mark Sutcliffe	1968		Politician, current mayor of Ottawa

T

Name	Birth year	Death year	Description	Image	Refs
Talk (Nick Durocher)			Musician ("Run Away to Mars")		[17]
Katie Tallo			Screenwriter, film director, and author		[18]
Linda Thom	1943		Olympic gold medal-winning shooter
Kai Thomas			Writer		[19]
Alexandre Trudeau	1973		Philosopher, filmmaker, author, journalist
Justin Trudeau	1971		Politician, 23rd and current Prime Minister of Canada
Margaret Trudeau	1948		Author, actress, photographer
Michel Trudeau	1975	1998	Scientist, environmentalist
J. B. Turgeon	1810	1897	First French-Canadian mayor of Bytown

W

Name	Birth year	Death year	Description	Image	Refs
Jeff Waters	1966		Guitarist and founder of Annihilator
Ken Watkin	1954		Former Judge Advocate General of the Canadian Armed Forces
Jim Watson	1961		Politician, former member of Ottawa City Council, former MPP and former mayor of Ottawa
MacKenzie Weegar	1994		NHL defenceman for the Calgary Flames, drafted by the Florida Panthers in 2013
Isabelle Weidemann	1995		Speed skater
Ken Westerfield	1947		Disc sport (Frisbee) pioneer; landed in Ottawa from the U.S. in 1970
Joel Westheimer			Professor at the University of Ottawa
Bill Westwick	1908	1990	Sportswriter for the Ottawa Journal 1926–1973, inductee into the Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame		[20] [21]
Ezekiel Stone Wiggins	1839	1910	Amateur meteorologist
Philemon Wright	1760	1839	Farmer, entrepreneur, and founder of Wrightstown, Lower Canada (Hull, Quebec)
Ruggles Wright	1793	1863	Lumber merchant

See also

• List of Canadians

Notes and References

1. News: Post . Special to National . 2013-11-10 . Ottawa native Hugh Acheson is redefining regional cuisine in Georgia . en . National Post . 2022-05-25.
2. Web site: 2016-09-08 . Chris Bumstead - Greatest Physiques . 2022-05-25 . www.greatestphysiques.com . en-US.
3. Web site: 2020-12-20 . Chris Bumstead Wins 2020 Classic Physique Olympia . 2022-05-25 . BarBend . en-US.
4. Web site: Ernie Calcutt. 1988. Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame. December 29, 2020.
5. Web site: Ernie Calcutt. 2017. Canadian Football Hall of Fame. December 28, 2020.
6. Web site: Jonathan David, la nouvelle coqueluche du soccer canadien. Jobin. Jonathan. CBC/Radio-Canada. September 10, 2018. December 21, 2023. May 23, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210523231909/https://ici.radio-canada.ca/amp/1122870/jonathan-david-gent-nouvelle-coqueluche-football-soccer-canadien-. bot: unknown.
7. Web site: Pierre Dufault, le dernier des grands. Gratton. Denis. June 22, 2018. Le Droit. fr. November 8, 2020.
8. Web site: Cecil Duncan. Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame. 2006. 2019-11-05.
9. Web site: 2022-10-08 . Young Canadian international forward Clarissa Larisey on the move and loving it . 2023-06-24 . thestar.com . en.
10. Book: Ferguson, Bob. Bob Ferguson (journalist). Who's Who in Canadian Sport, Volume 4. Fitzhenry & Whiteside Ltd.. 2005. Markham, Ontario. 1-55041-855-6. 256.
11. News: Eddie MacCabe: A glimpse it the city's soul. Chwialkowska. Luiza. May 24, 1998. Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ontario. 7.
12. News: Eddie MacCabe: A local legend lost. Brown. Dave. May 23, 1998. Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ontario. 27.

    News: MacCabe did it well or didn't bother with it at all. Brown. Dave. May 23, 1998. Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ontario. 28.

13. Valérie Lessard, "Derniers adieux à un phare de la littérature franco-ontarienne". Le Droit, February 14, 2015.
14. Book: Evans . Richard J. . Hitler's People: The Faces of the Third Reich . 2024 . Allen Lane.
15. Web site: Kelleigh Ryan . Team Canada - Official Olympic Team Website . 14 June 2019 . en . 25 October 2011.
16. Web site: Barbara Ann Scott . Team Canada - Official Olympic Team Website . 14 June 2019 . en . 19 September 2011.
17. Randy Boswell, "From Stittsville to Mars, the unlikely journey of Ottawa musician Nick Durocher". Ottawa Citizen, October 6, 2022.
18. Web site: Lalande . Dan . 2021-06-24 . Ottawa Author Makes NY Times and Globe and Mail . 2022-10-18 . FACES Magazine . en-US.
19. Ryan B. Patrick, "6 Black Canadian writers to watch in 2023". CBC Books, February 2, 2023.
20. Web site: W. G. 'Bill' Westwick. 1983. Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame. February 6, 2022.
21. Web site: Bill Westwick. 1984. Canadian Football Hall of Fame. February 6, 2022.