List of people from St. Catharines

The following people were born in, residents of, or are otherwise closely connected to the city of St. Catharines, Ontario

Fashion

• Supermodel Linda Evangelista, was born and raised in St. Catharines. Her family still lives there. The breast screening centre at St. Catharines General Hospital is named after her and singer Bryan Adams.

Art

• Edward Burtynsky is an internationally recognized and critically acclaimed photographer.
• Ralston Crawford was a critically acclaimed painter, printmaker, and photographer.
• Marie Elyse St. George (born 1929), artist, poet
• David Rokeby a critically acclaimed videographer spent his formative years in St. Catharines. His father was the Minister at St. Columba Anglican Church.

Film, television, and media

• R.J. Adams (aka Bob Shannon) actor & radio personality, born in St. Catharines, attended Edith Cavell Elementary School, Disc Jockey WKBW Buffalo, KHJ, KFI Los Angeles, Rocky IV, NYPD Blue, Murder She Wrote and dozens of others.
• Mike Beaver, actor/writer, was born in St. Catharines. He has appeared in numerous films and TV shows such as Billable Hours, Sorority Boys, NCIS, The In-Laws and Queer As Folk.
• Jason Cadieux, actor, genie nominated "Lilies", "Iron Eagle IV", founder Essential Collective Theatre
• Rick Campanelli (a.k.a. "Rick the Temp"), former MuchMusic VJ and current reporter on ET Canada, attended Brock University.
• Hume Cronyn, late actor and husband of late actress Jessica Tandy, attended Ridley College, which is located within the city.
• Jennifer Hollett, former MuchMusic VJ and Videographer.
• Anna Olson, pastry chef and host of Food Network Canada's Sugar and Kitchen Equipped operates a bakery in Port Dalhousie.
• Garry Robbins, Starred as Saw-Tooth in the 2003 horror movie, Wrong Turn and was the Mud Monster from the Goosebumps book, You Can't Scare Me!
• Matthew Santoro, YouTube personality, lived in St. Catharines.
• Bernard Slade, Playwright and screenwriter, born in St. Catharines. He was a head writer for Bewitched on ABC, developed the Flying Nun, and created the Partridge Family.
• David Sutcliffe, Actor
• Dave Thomas, actor/comedian, a former cast member of SCTV. Played the roll of pharmacist Russell Norton on TV series Grace Under Fire. Also known for playing Doug of Bob & Doug McKenzie fame.
• John Zaritsky, documentary film maker.

Journalists

• Peter Gzowski, a Canadian broadcaster, reporter and writer attended Ridley College.
• Laura Sabia, a Canadian social activist and feminist, spent a significant amount of time in St. Catharines and served on St. Catharines City Council.
• Roger Smith, veteran Ottawa correspondent for the CTV national news broadcast.

Business

• Michael Sabia, CEO of Bell Canada and Bell Canada Enterprises and the son of Laura Sabia, was born and raised in St. Catharines.
• Josh Cartu, online media magnate, was born and raised in St. Catharines

Musicians

• Most of the members of Alexisonfire hail from St. Catharines including Wade MacNeil, Chris Steele, Jesse Ingelevics and Dallas Green. City and Colour's music video for Save Your Scissors was filmed in St. Catharines inside L3 nightclub, a scene shot in the Pizza Pizza on St. Paul St and a scene in Ostanek's Music Shop.
• John Crossingham, Juno Award-winning drummer for Broken Social Scene, is a native of St. Catharines and continues to spend a significant amount of the time in the city when not touring with the band.
• Two members of the band Our Lady Peace - Raine Maida, lead singer, and Duncan Coutts, bass guitarist - both studied at Ridley College. Duncan was born and raised in St. Catharines and his family still lives there.
• Walter Ostanek, Grammy Award-winning musician and Canada's Polka King, is a St. Catharines resident. His store, Walter Ostanek's Music Centre, was located on Geneva Street in the city's downtown area. It opened in the late 1960s and closed on May 31, 2013.
• Neil Peart, drummer of Rush, was raised in St. Catharines. The song "Lakeside Park" is based on the area of Port Dalhousie where he lived.
• Ron Sexsmith, a Juno Award-winning singer/songwriter, was also born and raised here, and now lives in Toronto.
• The Trews spent a significant time in St. Catharines, before recently re-locating to nearby Niagara Falls.
• Matt Thiessen, lead singer and songwriter for the Christian rock band, Relient K, was born in St. Catharines before moving to Canton, Ohio.
• Ronn Metcalfe, Club owner of the Castle, hosted many great bands of the mid 60's, Ronn was known as the 'king' of The Castle, Leader of "The Ronn Metcalfe Orchestra" which had moderate success and a single called "Twistin' at the Woodchopper's Ball". It charted in both the States and Canada. It was the first all Canadian song to top international charts.
• Tim Hicks, country music singer-songwriter born and raised in St. Catharines
• Laura de Turczynowicz, née Laura Christine Blackwell, (1878-1953), opera singer born and raised in St. Catharines

Novelists

• Richard B. Wright resides in St. Catharines. Wright won the Giller Prize, the Trillium Book Award and the Governor General's Award in 2001 for his novel Clara Callan.

Politicians

• Robert Stanley Kemp "Bob" Welch, former Deputy Premier of Ontario (1977–1985), served several cabinet postings under Premiers John Robarts, Bill Davis and Frank Miller, was a lifelong St. Catharines resident. He retired from politics to live in Niagara-on-the-Lake and practice law in St. Catharines.
• Stuart Garson, former Premier of Manitoba (1943–48), Minister of Justice and Attorney General in Louis St. Laurent's cabinet (1948–57).

Sports

• Rick Jeanneret, the television and radio play-by-play announcer of the Buffalo Sabres.
• Steve Bauer, Olympic Silver Medalist and one of only two Canadians to wear the Tour de France Yellow jersey, was born in St. Catharines.
• Brian Bellows of the Minnesota North Stars and Stanley Cup Champion Montreal Canadiens 1993 is a native of the city.
• Gerry Cheevers, a former NHL goaltender with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985.
• Alan Eagleson is a controversial hockey agent and promoter, also a Canadian lawyer and politician. He is known for negotiating famous hockey star Bobby Orr's first contract with the Boston Bruins.
• Doug Favell, a former NHL goaltender with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers.
• Melanie Kok, a women's rower who won a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in the lightweight women's double in Beijing, China. The first Olympic medal for Canada ever in this event.
• Tim Horton, Canadian NHL hockey player and founder of Tim Hortons restaurants, was not born in the city, but was pronounced dead at St. Catharines General Hospital after his car lost control and crashed on the Queen Elizabeth Way at Martindale Road.
• Stan Mikita, born in Sokolce, Slovakia, raised in St. Catharines, member of the Hockey Hall of Fame since 1983, Hart Trophy (MVP) winner, Art Ross Trophy winner, long-time captain of the Chicago Black Hawks and member of Team Canada.
• Bryan McCabe of the New York Rangers was born in the city, but raised in Calgary, Alberta.
• Andrew Peters, a left winger with the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League.
• Michael Ponikvar, former world-class high jumper, 2-time Olympic qualifier, 2-time Canadian Junior National champion, NCAA medalist and 3-time All-American. Currently holds the Canadian High School high jump record.
• Daultan Leveille, a centre drafted 28th overall by the Atlanta Thrashers.
• Riley Sheahan, a centre drafted 21st overall by the Detroit Red Wings.
• Dick Pound, former International Olympic Committee Vice-President and current chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency, was born in St. Catharines and spent his early childhood in the city.
• Buffy-Lynne Williams (formerly Buffy Alexander) is a Canadian rower who won the Bronze Medal at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in the Women's Eight event.
• Sara Bauer is a women's hockey player for the NCAA Division I Wisconsin Badgers who won the 2006 Patty Kazmaier Award as the top women's college hockey player in the United States.
• Kirsten Moore-Towers is a pairs figure skater who spent her early career training at the Winter Club of St. Catharines before changing training bases to the Kitchener-Waterloo in February 2008. Kirsten still lives in St. Catharines with her family. She is the 2011 Canadian Figure Skating Champion and the 2014 Olympic Silver Medalist in Team Figure Skating
• Sean Greenhalgh is a professional lacrosse player for the Buffalo Bandits of the National Lacrosse League.
• Mark Steenhuis is a professional lacrosse player for the Buffalo Bandits of the National Lacrosse League.
• Billy Dee Smith is a professional lacrosse player for the Buffalo Bandits of the National Lacrosse League.
• Craig Conn is a professional lacrosse player for the Calgary Roughnecks of the National Lacrosse League.
• Matt Vinc is a professional lacrosse goaltender for the Orlando Titans of the National Lacrosse League.
• Pat McCready is a professional lacrosse player for the Toronto Rock of the National Lacrosse League.
• Ian Llord is a professional lacrosse player for the Buffalo Bandits of the National Lacrosse League.
• Steve Toll is a professional lacrosse player for the Rochester Knighthawks of the National Lacrosse League.
• Corey Small is a professional lacrosse player for the Edmonton Rush of the National Lacrosse League.
• Matt Vinc, Billy Dee Smith, and Steve Toll were all members of the Canadian gold medal winning team at the 2006 World Lacrosse Championship.
• William J Bruce III is an author ^[1] and the former publicist and ministerial agent to the "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase of World Wrestling Entertainment.^[2][3]
• Rod Spittle, Champions Tour golfer.
• Keith Makubuya is a professional soccer player for the Toronto FC of the Major League Soccer.
• Kevin Neufeld (born in St. Catharines) is a Canadian rower, who was a member of the Canadian men's eights team that won the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
• Mark Johnston, a swimmer who competed in the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics, was born and raised in St. Catharines.
• Jeffrey Finley is a professional for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League

War Heroes

• Frederick Fisher St. Catharines born recipient of the Victoria Cross for actions during the Second Battle of Ypres in the First World War
• Air Commodore Leonard Birchall, CM, OBE, DFC, O.Ont, CD, Pilot Royal Canadian Air Force, Second World War, "The Saviour of Ceylon". Birchall was St. Catharines born and raised, attending St. Catharines Collegiate and later the Royal Military College of Canada. While flying a patrol in a Catalina PBY Birchall spotted a large Japanese invasion fleet heading to Ceylon. He managed to radio a warning before being attacked and subsequently shot down by 6 Japanese fighters from the carrier Hiryu. Birchall survived his downing, but was captured by the Japanese. During his captivity he became an ardent defender of his fellow prisoners and was regularly beaten for his efforts.

Criminals

• Karla Homolka, a female serial rapist and serial killer who lived in St. Catharines committed her crimes along with her romantic partner at the time Paul Bernardo. Their first murder victim was Tammy Homolka (died in 1990) who was the younger sister of Karla. Their second murder victim was Leslie Mahaffy (died in 1991) and third and final murder victim was Kristen French (died in 1992). The crimes committed by Karla and Paul received a lot of media coverage in Canada and foreign media such as the United States throughout the 1990s.

References