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Greatest Manitobans
Voting is over for the Greatest Manitoban. Please enjoy the profiles of the nominees.
You might need that information if you want to enter our contest to win a November getaway for two to see Manitoba’s famous polar bears. Each day starting Aug. 6, we’ll publish a clue to the identity of that day’s Greatest Manitoban, working in reverse order beginning with No. 30 down to No. 6. Guess the great Manitoban hinted at by the clue each day, keep them in order and submit your list after the clues end Aug. 30. The reader with the list closest to the right answers, wins the Greatest Manitoban Polar Bear Adventure. In the case of a tie, we’ll have a draw from the correct entries.
It’s a trip for two by Calm Air to Churchill for three days and two nights staying at the Lazy Bear Lodge to see the polar bears.
We'll unveil the greatest Manitoban ever in September. Then watch for our book, The Greatest Manitobans, to be published later this fall.
Top 50 Finalists
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John Hirsch
Uploaded: May 29th
Nominated by: Adam Bronstone
Why John Hirsch should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Founder, Manitoba Theatre Centre
Manitoba dosage: 3
Fast Facts: Born in Hungary, came to Winnipeg as a refugee after World War II...Founded MTC in 1958 and was its ...
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Louis Riel
Uploaded: May 24th
Nominated by: Matthew
Why Louis Riel should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Founder of Manitoba, Metis leader, executed by federal government for treason
Manitoba dosage: 5
Fast Facts: Considered by many to be the Founding Father of ...
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The Guess Who
Uploaded: June 10th
Nominated by: Paul Armstrong
Why The Guess Who should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: First Canadian rock group to have a No. 1 hit in the U.S. (American Woman)
Manitoba dosage: 4
Fast Facts: Led by singer Burton Cummings and guitarist Randy Bachman...Had huge international hits with These Eyes, No ...
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Leo Mol
Uploaded: June 1st
Nominated by: margie
Why Leo Mol should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Sculptor, artist
Manitoba dosage: 4
Fast Facts: World famous Winnipeg sculptor...Originally born Leonid Molodozhanyn in Ukraine...Known as an unusually prolific ...
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Sir William Stephenson
Uploaded: May 24th
Nominated by: David J. Danyluk
Why Sir William Stephenson should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: War hero, spymaster, inspiration for James Bond
Manitoba dosage: 3
Fast Facts: Cited for heroism as a pilot in World War 1...Wounded during a gas attack in ...
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Duff Roblin
Uploaded: May 25th
Nominated by: G. Morriss
Why Duff Roblin should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Manitoba premier, driving force behind the construction of the Red River Floodway
Manitoba dosage: 5
Fast Facts: Roblin is so synonymous with the floodway that even ...
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E. Cora Hind
Uploaded: June 10th
Nominated by: Paul Armstrong
Why E. Cora Hind should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Agricultural expert, newspaper pioneer
Manitoba dosage: 4
Fast Facts: Western Canada's first female journalist...Agricultural editor for the Winnipeg Free Press ...
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Kathleen Richardson
Uploaded: May 28th
Nominated by: John A. Myers
Why Kathleen Richardson should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Philanthropist
Manitoba dosage: 5
Fast Facts: Matriarch of Winnipeg's influential Richardson family...Past president and major supporter of the Royal Winnipeg ...
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Margaret Laurence
Uploaded: May 21st
Nominated by: Alex Paul
Why Margaret Laurence should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Author, social activist
Manitoba dosage:3
Fast Facts: Born in Neepawa, she studied at Winnipeg's United College...Her most famous book, The Stone Angel, is set in a ...
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Naranjan Dhalla
Uploaded: June 6th
Nominated by: Paul Armstrong
Why Naranjan Dhalla should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: World-renowned pioneer in cardiovascular research
Manitoba dosage: 3
Fast Facts: Dhalla joined the University of Manitoba faculty in 1968 and has earned an ...
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Louis Slotin
Uploaded: May 25th
Nominated by: harry
Why Louis Slotin should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Nuclear physicist on Manhattan project, gave life to save others in nuclear accident
Manitoba dosage: 3.5
Fast Facts: Prodigy who enrolled at University of Manitoba ...
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Israel Asper
Uploaded: May 24th
Nominated by: Jan Maydan
Why Israel Asper should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Media mogul, philanthropist, politician
Manitoba Dosage*: 5
Fast Facts: His multi-billion dollar worldwide media empire began with one station, Winnipeg's CKND...He ...
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Ed Schreyer
Uploaded: May 24th
Nominated by: Steve Ashton
Why Ed Schreyer should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Manitoba premier, Governor General
Manitoba dosage: 4.5
Fast Facts: As Manitoba premier (1969-77), his government introduced public auto insurance, pharmacare and ...
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Baldur Rosmund Stefansson
Uploaded: May 16th
Nominated by: David Jón Fuller
Why Baldur Rosmund Stefansson should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Scientist, father of canola
Manitoba dosage: 5
Fast Facts: While working at the University of Manitoba, he led the development of a variety of rapeseed that could be ...
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Fred Penner
Uploaded: May 25th
Nominated by: Allison Reid
Why Fred Penner should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Children's entertainer
Manitoba dosage: 5
Fast Facts: His first album of children's songs, The Cat Came Back (1979) sold more than 150,000 copies...Although he ...
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Marshall McLuhan
Uploaded: May 24th
Nominated by: David Churchill
Why Marshall McLuhan should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Educator, philosopher, communications theorist
Manitoba dosage: 2
Fast Facts: Born in Edmonton in 1911, McLuhan moved to Winnipeg at age 4...He attended Kelvin High ...
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Tommy Douglas
Uploaded: May 25th
Nominated by: Darren Zamkotowich
Why Tommy Douglas should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Considered to be Canada's Father of Medicare
Manitoba dosage: 2.5
Fast Facts: Spent his formative years in Winnipeg...His politics were deeply influenced by ...
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Big Bear
Uploaded: June 6th
Nominated by: jessica perry
Why Big Bear should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Aboriginal leader, pioneer, negotiator
Manitoba dosage: 2
Fast Facts: Chief of the Plains Cree First Nation during the latter half of the 1800s...Also known as Chief Mistashimaskwa...Employed mostly non-violent means ...
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Nellie McClung
Uploaded: May 25th
Nominated by: Cheryl
Why Nellie McClung should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Politician, author, feminist, social activist
Manitoba dosage: 4
Fast Facts: Driving force behind Manitoba passing legislation in 1916 that made this province the ...
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Tom Jackson
Uploaded: June 6th
Nominated by: Paul Armstrong
Why Tom Jackson should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Musician, actor, activist
Manitoba dosage: 4
Fast Facts: Award winning actor whose shows include the CBC drama North of 60 and the Longhouse Tales...Juno-nominated ...
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Lord Selkirk
Uploaded: May 30th
Nominated by: Charles Thompson
Why Lord Selkirk should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Colonizer, author
Manitoba dosage: 2
Fast Facts: Selkirk is widely credited with helping to settle Winnipeg and the surrounding area by bringing in poor Scottish ...
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Gail Asper
Uploaded: May 26th
Nominated by: Hannah Taylor
Why Gail Asper should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Philanthropist, driving force behind a Winnipeg location for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights
Manitoba dosage: 4.5
Fast Facts: The daughter of the late media ...
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Frank H. Gunston
Uploaded: May 30th
Nominated by: Elizabeth Desroches
Why Frank H. Gunston should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Developed the first artificial knee
Manitoba dosage: 5
Fast Facts: Gunston had an engineering degree before he got his medical degree...He used both disciplines to ...
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Gabrielle Roy
Uploaded: May 25th
Nominated by: Real Sabourin
Why Gabrielle Roy should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Author
Manitoba dosage: 3
Fast Facts: She won three Governor General Awards for her writing...She was born, raised and worked in St. Boniface before ...
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Chief Peguis
Uploaded: May 26th
Nominated by: Buzz
Why Chief Peguis should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Aboriginal leader, pioneer
Manitoba dosage: 4
Fast Facts: Led the Ojibway people to Red River in the early 1800's...Recognizing a need for his people to move beyond ...
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James A. Richardson
Uploaded: June 5th
Nominated by: Roger Yost
Why James A. Richardson should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Business leader, aviator, grain baron
Manitoba dosage: 4
Fast Facts: James Armstrong Richardson has been referred to as the "father of commercial aviation in ...
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Dr. Bruce Chown
Uploaded: June 5th
Nominated by: Yvonne Cantin
Why Dr. Bruce Chown should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Developed WinRho SD, a vaccine that saves the lives of newborns (See also Dr. Alan Bowman)
Manitoba dosage: 4
Fast Facts: While working as a researcher at the ...
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Lloyd Axworthy
Uploaded: May 24th
Nominated by: Richard Little
Why Lloyd Axworthy should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Politician, foreign affairs minister, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, university president
Manitoba dosage: 3
Fast Facts: Foreign Affairs minister under Prime Minister ...
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Tommy Prince
Uploaded: May 25th
Nominated by: Rae Csversko
Why Tommy Prince should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: War hero
Manitoba dosage: 4.5
Fast Facts: A descendant of another nominee, Chief Peguis...Canada's most decorated aboriginal war veteran, he was a member of the ...
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Arnold Spohr
Uploaded: June 11th
Nominated by: Ronald Robinson
Why Arnold Spohr should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Ballet dancer, choreographer and artistic director of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet
Manitoba dosage: 4
Fast Facts: Danced with the Winnipeg Ballet from 1945-54, ...
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Elijah Harper
Uploaded: May 24th
Nominated by: Linda
Why Elijah Harper should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Politician, aboriginal leader, opponent of the Meech Lake Accord
Manitoba dosage: 5
Fast Facts: Sitting as an NDP MLA for Rupert's Land, Harper's procedural delays ...
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Alan Ronald
Uploaded: May 28th
Nominated by: Greg Wood
Why Alan Ronald should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Doctor, educator, researcher
Manitoba dosage: 4.5
Fast Facts: Retired in 2002 after a 35-year career as a professor and medical researcher to develop an HIV/AIDS ...
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Harry Lehotsky
Uploaded: May 24th
Nominated by: Jon Phillips
Why Harry Lehotsky should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Founder New Life Ministries, community activist
Manitoba dosage: 3.5
Fast Facts: Lehotsky was a fierce advocate for the poor in Winnipeg's West End...He founded two ...
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Dr. John Bowman
Uploaded: May 28th
Nominated by: Donna Champagne
Why Dr. John Bowman should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Developed WinRho SD, a vaccine that saves the lives of newborns (See also Dr. Bruce Chown)
Manitoba dosage: 4
Fast facts: While working as a researcher at the ...
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Tom Lamb
Uploaded: June 2nd
Nominated by: Pauline Braun
Why Tom Lamb should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Aviator, northern pioneer
Manitoba dosage: 4
Fast Facts: Patriarch of the Lamb family which pioneered aviation in the north with their company Lambair...Subject of ...
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Henry Friesen
Uploaded: June 13th
Nominated by: Paul Armstrong
Why Henry Friesen should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Doctor, researcher, administrator
Manitoba dosage: 4
Fast Facts: Research on growth hormones in dwarf children led to a new therapy...Also developed a treatment for ...
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Anne Ross
Uploaded: June 11th
Nominated by: Bonnie Carlson
Why Anne Ross should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Nurse. administrator, social activist
Manitoba dosage: 4
Fast Facts: Head nurse and executive director of Mount Carmel Clinic from 1948-1985...Surrounded by a poor ...
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Carol Shields
Uploaded: May 26th
Nominated by: john
Why Carol Shields should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Author, Pulitzer Prize winner
Manitoba dosage: 3
Fast Facts: Born in Chicago, she made her home in Winnipeg for more than 20 years and prairie themes run throughout ...
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Etienne Gaboury (Architect)
Uploaded: June 6th
Nominated by: Gordon Warren
Why Etienne Gaboury (Architect) should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Architect
Manitoba dosage: 4
Fast Facts: A descendent of Louis Riel...Born in Swan Lake into a family of 11 children...Studied at the University of Manitoba and won ...
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Randall Moffat
Uploaded: May 28th
Nominated by: Richard Woroniak
Why Randall Moffat should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Media mogul, philanthropist
Manitoba dosage: 5
Fast Facts: President of Moffat Communications which had TV, radio and cable interests across Canada and into the ...
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Terry Fox
Uploaded: May 25th
Nominated by: Emilie Dorge
Why Terry Fox should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Ran the Marathon of Hope in support of cancer research
Manitoba dosage: 1
Fast Facts: Lost his right leg just above the knee to cancer...Still battling the disease, ...
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Phil Fontaine
Uploaded: June 7th
Nominated by: Richard Little
Why Phil Fontaine should be a Great Manitoban:
Manitoba dosage: 4
Fast Facts: First elected to public office as chief of the Sagkeeng First Nation at age 28...His mother was the first Indian woman in Canada elected to a band council...Led the Indian ...
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J.S. Woodsworth
Uploaded: May 24th
Nominated by: David Churchill
Why J.S. Woodsworth should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Politician, minister, author, community activist, advocate for the poor, immigrants and trade unions
Manitoba dosage: 3.5
Fast Facts: One of the founders of the CCF ...
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Stanley Knowles
Uploaded: May 24th
Nominated by: Dan Doyle
Why Stanley Knowles should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Politician, social activist
Manitoba dosage: 3
Fast Facts: Born in Los Angeles, he represented the riding of Winnipeg North Centre in Parliament for more than 40 ...
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Cindy Klassen
Uploaded: May 25th
Nominated by: Brian Abs
Why Cindy Klassen should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Canada's most decorated Olympian, speedskater
Manitoba dosage: 4
Fast Facts: Won two bronze, two silver and one gold at the 2006 Winter Olympics, the only Canadian ...
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Frank L. Skinner
Uploaded: June 12th
Nominated by: Paul Armstrong
Why Frank L. Skinner should be a Great Manitoban:
Manitoba dosage: 4.5
Fast Facts: A self-taught horticulturalist, Skinner is credited with developing hundreds of strains of hardy plants and trees capable of surviving the harsh prairie ...
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John Wesley Dafoe
Uploaded: June 9th
Nominated by: Paul Armstrong
Why John Wesley Dafoe should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Newspaper editor
Manitoba dosage: 4
Fast Facts: Widely regarded as one of the most influential Canadian journalists in history...Edited the Manitoba/Winnipeg Free ...
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Harold Buchwald
Uploaded: May 31st
Nominated by: Gordon Crook
Why Harold Buchwald should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Prominent lawyer, activist, volunteer
Manitoba dosage: 5
Fast Facts: Co-founded law firm Pitblado...Headed provincial law society...Tax reform advocate...Presided ...
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Steve Juba
Uploaded: May 24th
Nominated by: RON HALAS
Why Steve Juba should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Populist Winnipeg mayor
Manitoba dosage: 5
Fast Facts: At one point, sat simultaneously as an MLA and Winnipeg's mayor...Served as mayor from 1957-1977...The son of ...
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Guy Maddin
Uploaded: June 14th
Nominated by: Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson
Why Guy Maddin should be a Great Manitoban:
Claim to fame: Screenwriter, director
Manitoba dosage: 4.5
Fast Facts: Born raised and educated in Winnipeg, Manitoba themes run strongly throughout all Maddin's films...Virtually ...
