Biographies

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Avril Lavigne: is another Ontario native who has made waves across the world. Her debut Album "Let Go" and its first single "Complicated" shot the skater-punk to superstardom in a matter of weeks. What really separates Avril Lavigne from other young pop stars is that she 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 refreshing to see young talent rise above the trappings of the industry. We hope Avril has a long career and continues to impress us with her talent, charm, and honesty. 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, as she went from being Labbatt Brewery's "Blue Girl" to Playboy Playmate, to finally becoming a bona fide star with of numerous TV and movie credits to her name. Her ability to rise above sometimes invasive and negative attacks from gossip mongers is nothing short of remarkable. Nothing can stop Pamela Anderson. 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. instead, following the deaths of 10 Belgian Peacekeepers assigned to protect the President, his forces were cut down from 3000 to a mere 500 men, who had to watch as one of the most horrible genocides in human history took place before their very eyes. Gen. Romeo Dallaire, frustrated, and disheartened by the U.N.'s passive attitude, nonetheless stood for his beliefs, repeatedly confronting his superiors who did nothing to prevent the horrific events from unfolding. OBITUARY-


 * **Roméo Antonius Dallaire** ||


 * A Canadian senator, humanitarian, author and retired general. Dallaire is widely known for having served as Force Commander of UNAMIR, the ill-fated United Nations peacekeeping force for Rwanda between 1993 and 1994, and for trying to stop the genocide that was being waged by Hutu extremists against Tutsis and Hutu moderates. General Dallaire is a Senior Fellow at the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies and Co-Director of the MIGS Will to Intervene Project that recently released a policy recommendation report "Mobilizing the Will to Intervene: Leadership and Action to Prevent Mass Atrocities. ||


 * Dallaire was born in Denekamp, Netherlands to Staff-Sergeant Roméo Louis Dallaire, a Canadian non-commissioned officer, and Catherine Vermaessen, a Dutch nurse. Dallaire came to Canada with his mother as a six month-old baby on the Empire Brent, landing in Halifax on December 13, 1946. He spent his childhood in Montreal. ||


 * He enrolled in the Canadian Army in 1963, as a cadet at Le Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean. In 1970 he graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada with a Bachelor of Science degree and was commissioned into The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery. ||


 * In 1971, Dallaire applied for a Canadian passport to travel overseas with his troops and was surprised to discover that his birth in the Netherlands as the son of a Canadian soldier did not automatically make him a Canadian citizen. He has subsequently become a Canadian citizen. ||


 * Dallaire has also attended the Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College, the United States Marine Corps Command and Staff College in Quantico, VA, and the British Higher Command and Staff Course. ||

Shania Twain: has com 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. At the age of 21, while living on her own, she received the terrible news that both her parents had been killed in a car accident, survived by her brothers, and sister Carrie-Ann. Shania Twain (the Eilleen) returned home to take care of her family in a "Party of Five" type scenario. She then moved, along with her family to Huntsville, Ontario, where she continued to perform at a local resort, until one day, some Nashville agents caught her act, and invited her to cut a demo, which was followed by a record deal with Mercury Nashville. It wasn't until Shania Twain joined forces with husband-to-be, and gifted producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, that she would record "Come on Over"; her breakthrough album which earned her the honors of having the biggest selling Country Album of all time, and winning several Grammy, and Country Music Awards. 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, when she performed session back-up R&B styled vocals for a Toronto Hip-Hop group.It was these experiences, coupled with her strong musical ability, her understanding of musical technology, and her open-mindedness towards different styles that gave Nelly Furtado her unique sound. It will be interesting to hear what she has to offer a decade from now, considering the talent and originality she has displayed thus far. 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.  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.Aside from campy B-movie vixens, Shannon has also played parts on TV series such as Frasier, and Nash Bridges, and did we mention that she was also Miss Canada in 1978, and Playmate Of The Month for November 1981, which led to her being honored as as the Playmate Of The Year in 1992. Shannon is romantically involved with none other than Gene Simmons, the bass player for the legendary rock band Kiss, with whom she has two children. 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.The climb was difficult, but now, with several gold records and awards to her name, Celine Dion's well-managed career is proof that once you set to follow your heart's desires, success is sure to follow. Jim Carrey: always knew who, and what he wanted to be; when he was only ten years old, he sent his "resume" to the Carol Burnett Show", and would perform comedy routines at school regularly. His father, a musician who had also done comedy from time to time, had abandoned his dreams in favor of a more "secure" job to feed his family, only to end up unemployed and poor in his latter years. Jim vowed to follow his dreams, understanding that there are no "safe" jobs, and wrote himself a postdated million dollar cheque in order tostay 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.  Leonard Cohen: is the Montrealer closest to sainthood according to local tabloid "The Mirror". Leonard Cohen's mysterious aura is more than just saintly, and his words have touched the hearts and minds of many a soul since he made his debut as a published poet in 1956. Leonard's songwriting style came to be as he planned to go to Nashville to record a Country album, but got sidetracked during a stay in New York where he met Folk music icons Bob Dylan, and Joan Baez and other influential music artists of the Greenwich Village scene. It was then that Leonard penned "Suzanne"; his most famous song, and the start of what was to be a long and impressive career. What makes this man's music and poetry so appealing is the rawness of its passion, and its simple unpretentious style. 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). Jennifer Tilly: received a "Best Actress" Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Olive in the Woody Allen film "Bullets Over Broadway". Other important milestones in Tilly's acting career include the title role in "The Bride of Chucky", a brilliantly played lead opposite Joe Pantoliano, and Gina Gershon in "Bound", and most recently, a major part in the Jim Carrey comedy "Liar, Liar". Jennifer Tilly is the sister of actress Meg Tilly, and was also once married to Sam Simon, producer of "The Simpsons"; although there was ample opportunity to do a guest spot as a voice actor on "The Simpsons", Jennifer has instead lent her vocal talents to "The Family Guy", and feature length animated films "Monsters Inc.", and "Bartok the Magnificent". Kristin Kreuk: is a Vancouver native who has been getting a lot of attention lately. Her roles on :Edgemont" and the very popular WB teen drama "Smallville", in which she plays Lana Lang. In addition to acting, Kristin has appeared in a commercial for Neutrogena skin care products. Sarah McLachlan: is the candid singer-songwriter with a voice that sends shivers down your spine. Her poetic words come directly from the soul. It's no exaggeration, as Sarah McLachlan's voice seems to be the closest equivalent to that of the sirens' song from Homer's Odyssey.  Captain Canuck: is somewhat of an enigma. While we all know that Canada was the birthplace of Superman, and that the world's most important comic book artist, Todd McFarlane also hails from the Great White North, no other superhero has captured the essence of being Canadian more than Captain Canuck.We'd like to see Quebec premier Bernard Landry call CC's suit and cape red and white rags...All kidding aside, Captain Canuck is the creation of Richard Comely, who first started drawing the adventures of the red and white hero in the 70s. Another thing whicxh sets CC apart from his US counterparts is the fact that all his adventures take place in Canadian cities.
 * He commanded the 5e Régiment d’Artillerie Légère du Canada. On July 3, 1989 he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general. He then commanded the 5th Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group. He was also the commandant of Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean from 1990 to 1993. ||