Lesson 2 of 3 · 5 min read
Modern Canada has produced celebrated writers, artists, and athletes, along with acclaimed filmmakers and broadcasters.
Modern Canada has produced influential artists, writers, and athletes, many of them recognized around the world.
The Group of Seven, founded in 1920, developed a distinctive style of painting to capture the rugged wilderness landscapes of Canada. Emily Carr painted the forests and Aboriginal artifacts of the West Coast. Les Automatistes of Quebec, most notably Jean-Paul Riopelle, pioneered modern abstract art in the 1950s. Louis-Philippe Hébert of Quebec was a celebrated sculptor of historical figures, and Kenojuak Ashevak pioneered modern Inuit art with etchings, prints and soapstone sculptures.
Canadians have made major contributions to literature in English and French. Writers include Stephen Leacock, Louis Hémon, Sir Charles G.D. Roberts, Pauline Johnson, Émile Nelligan, Robertson Davies, Margaret Laurence and Mordecai Richler; Joy Kogawa, Michael Ondaatje and Rohinton Mistry have broadened Canada's literary experience. Musicians Sir Ernest MacMillan and Healey Willan won renown at home and abroad.
Canada has a respected performing arts tradition with regional theatres and world-renowned companies. The films of Denys Arcand have won international awards; other noted filmmakers include Norman Jewison and Atom Egoyan.
Canadians have made lasting marks on the world of sport. Basketball was invented by Canadian James Naismith in 1891. In 1972, Paul Henderson scored the winning goal for Canada in the Canada-Soviet Summit Series, a moment still remembered as "the goal heard around the world."
Wayne Gretzky, widely regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time, played for the Edmonton Oilers from 1979 to 1988. In 1996, Donovan Bailey became a world record sprinter and double Olympic gold medallist. Chantal Petitclerc became a world champion wheelchair racer and Paralympic gold medallist. Professional teams in the Canadian Football League compete for the Grey Cup, donated by Governor General Lord Grey in 1909.
In 1980, Terry Fox, a British Columbian who had lost his right leg to cancer at age 18, began a cross-country run called the Marathon of Hope to raise money for cancer research. His run became one of the most enduring symbols of Canadian courage and generosity. Five years later, in 1985, Rick Hansen circled the globe in a wheelchair on his "Man in Motion" world tour to raise funds for spinal cord research, another lasting symbol of Canadian determination.
Key facts
The Group of Seven, founded in 1920, developed a style of painting that captured Canada's rugged wilderness landscapes.
Basketball was invented by Canadian James Naismith in 1891.
In 1972, Paul Henderson scored the winning goal for Canada in the Canada-Soviet Summit Series, a moment often called 'the goal heard around the world.'
In 1980, Terry Fox, a British Columbian who lost his right leg to cancer at age 18, began a cross-country run called the Marathon of Hope to raise money for cancer research.
Wayne Gretzky, one of the greatest hockey players of all time, played for the Edmonton Oilers from 1979 to 1988.
In 1996, Donovan Bailey became a world record sprinter and double Olympic gold medallist.
In 1985, Rick Hansen circled the globe in a wheelchair on his 'Man in Motion' tour to raise funds for spinal cord research.
Answer all 3 to mark this lesson done.
1. Who invented basketball, and in what year?
2. What event is known as 'the goal heard around the world'?
3. What cause did Terry Fox's 1980 Marathon of Hope raise money for?
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