Thirteen Famous Canadians

1-

Avril Lavigne is is completely in control of her own image, sound, and style. In an age where pop stars are made by reality shows and producers, it's kewl to see young talent rise above the trappings of the industry.

2-

Pamela Anderson was destined to be a star from birth; the first child born on July 1st, 1967, Pamela Denise Anderson's was Canada's "Centennial Baby". This was only the beginning of a long and successful career in the spotlight.

3-

Romeo Dallaire who, as the former head of the U.N. Peacekeeping Force witnessed unspeakable horrors in Rwanda, as extremist Hutus massacred over 800,000 Tutsis and Hutus in the space of a few days in 1994. General Romeo Dallaire did everything he could, pleading for 2000 more peacekeepers to be added to his insufficiently equipped 3000 man force. If they had answered Gen. Dallaire's pleas, the U.N. could have stopped the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Rwandans.

4-

Shania Twain has come a long way. The Ontario born country superstar was so poor when she was a child, that most of the meat in her school lunches were made from wild game she and her family hunted on a Native reservation. One of the few escapes she had from her poverty was her precocious talent for music; at the age of ten, she was writing, and performing her own songs, in hopes of a better future.

5-

Nelly Furtado came from a musical family. she grew up in Victoria, B.C, was singing in both Portuguese and English by the age of four, recording her own songs in a portable tape recorder at the age of eight, and played ukulele and the trombone through her teens while at the same time exploring her new-found fascination with the world of Hip-Hop. Nelly's first professional recording studio experience was at the age of 16.

6-

Estella Warren is the supermodel turned actress starring in Tim Burton's "Planet of the Apes" remake, and the face of Chanel No.5. This Ontario-born former championship swimmer's star is rising fast, and will surely be joining other Canadian beauties as one of the world's most beautiful women.

7-

Shannon Tweed is the Newfoundland native best know for her work in the "erotic thriller" genre, in fact, she has found so much success acting in these films that she is also producing them.

8-

Keanu Reeves whose name means cool breeze. Keanu Reeves' first caught the critics' attention with his portrayal of "Matt" in "River's Edge" back in 1987. Keanu Reeves trademark "Whoa" from "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" can be heard in several other films including "The Matrix" a blockbuster hit soon to become the next big Sci-Fi franchise. Reeves has signed on to play "Neo" in parts 2 and 3.

9-

Celine Dion is one of the World's greatest divas. Who would have known this girl from the Quebec countryside would rise to such iconic stardom? Husband Rene Angelil knew, and his determination to make this small-town-girl a star paid off in the biggest way.

10-

Alanis Morisette is the former teen pop singer from Ottawa who went on to become one of the biggest names in alternative Rock. Alanis Morissette is the recipient of 4 Grammy awards for her "Jagged Little Pill" album which stayed at the top of the charts for a staggering 113 weeks.

11-

Bryan Adams holds the record for the longest running #1 single in pop history, and with "Everything I Do, I Do It For You". Bryan is also an accomplished photographer, and his work can be seen in two books, one on Canadian women (made in Canada), the other on British women (Haven).

12-

Neil Young is a musical genius, his mastery of the guitar and incredible skill as a songwriter put him head and shoulders above the rest in a world where "dinosaur" rockers fail to evolve.

13-

Jim Carrey vowed to follow his dreams, understanding that there are no "safe" jobs, and wrote himself a post-dated million dollar cheque in order to stay focused on his goal. He never cashed the cheque, having instead left it in his father's grave. Jim's box-office successes have far exceeded the million dollar mark. He is the highest paid comic actor working today, and his rise to fame nothing short of inspiring.