Burton Cummings and Ryan Reynolds Among 2011 Canada's Walk of Fame Inductees

Burton Cummings and Ryan Reynolds Among 2011 Canadas Walk of Fame Inductees Image

Burton Cummings, Russell Peters, Sandra Oh and Ryan Reynolds are among the entertainers that will be awarded a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame this October. Joining 131 of their esteemed countrymen and women, for this recognition, are seven men and women who’ve enriched our lives and Canadian culture with their unique skills and talents. Each will receive their tribute on Saturday, October 1 at Toronto’s Elgin Theatre. The 14th Annual Canada’s Walk of Fame televised awards will also be broadcast nationally in October on Global and Slice.

“Each one of our inductees has made their mark on Canada’s colourful landscape and helped define to the world what it means to be Canadian,” says Peter Soumalias, President and Founding Director of Canada’s Walk of Fame. “We are thrilled to honour and celebrate our inductees’ dedication and passion to both their craft and community at this year’s ceremony.”

Unlike the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which only honours the entertainment industry, Canada’s Walk of Fame honours excellence in varying fields, including music, film, television, sports, science, and literary, visual and performing arts. After a four-day festival of music, comedy and film in the city of Toronto, each inductee will receive their tribute on October 1st in a ceremony at the historic Elgin Theatre. They will then, like the recipients before them, have their stars embedded in the sidewalk in the city’s Entertainment District.

The Class of 2011 inductees, in alphabetical order, are:

Dr. Roberta Bondar Bondar has the double-distinction of being Canada’s first female astronaut and the first neurologist in space. For more than a decade, the 65 year-old Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario native was NASA’s head of space medicine. Bondar is also an educator, author and photographer.

Burton Cummings Rock legend Cummings hails from Winnipeg, Manitoba and is best known as the frontman for the iconic Guess Who. The 63 year-old singer/songwriter’s catalog of classics includes American Woman, Laughing and These Eyes. The platinum-selling Cummings has won six Juno Awards and received the Order of Manitoba. In 2009, he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honours.

Daniel Nestor A 38 year-old Yugoslavian-born Torontonian, Nestor is one of Canada’s most accomplished tennis players. Nestor’s list of accomplishments includes 73 men’s double’s titles and 7 Grand Slam men’s doubles titles. He is the 3rd most decorated doubles player of all time. Nestor also won an Olympic gold medal at the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney. He has also had success in mixed doubles, twice winning the Australian Open.

Sandra Oh The actress from Nepean, Ontario is best known for her work on the hit television medical drama, Grey’s Anatomy. The 40 year-old Oh has portrayed Dr. Cristina Yang since the show’s 2004 debut. She has won numerous awards for her work on the series, including a Golden Globe, a Screen Actor’s Guild and 5 Emmys. Oh’s film credits include Under the Tuscan Sun and Sideways.

Russell Peters One of the most successful and highly paid (twice listed in Forbes magazine) stand-up comedians in the world, the 40 year-old Brampton, Ontario native has broken attendance records all over the world. He is the first comedian to sell out Toronto’s Air Canada Centre. He has released three successful DVDs, Outsourced, Russell Peters: Red, White and Brown, and 2011’s, The Green Card Tour – Live from the O2 Arena. Peters has twice hosted the Juno Awards, and in 2010, released his autobiography, Call me Russell.

Ryan Reynolds Vancouver, B.C. native Ryan Reynolds, 34, has a long list of impressive film credits, which include National Lampoon’s Van Wilder, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and most recently, Green Lantern. Also famous in pop culture for his leading-man good looks, long term relationship with fellow Canadian icon Alanis Morissette and brief marriage to starlet Scarlett Johansson, Reynolds is often fodder for entertainment journalists and tabloids everywhere.

Mordecai Richler Legendary author and screenwriter Montrealer Richler, who died in 2001 at age 70, was a giant in the literary world and a prominent figure in Canada’s history. His most renowned works include The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Barney’s Version, Solomon Gursky Was Here, and Joshua Then and Now. Richler also wrote journalistic commentary, contributing to publications such as The Atlantic Monthly, Look, The New Yorker, The National Post and The Montreal Gazette. Shortly before his death in 2001, Richler was made a Companion of the Order of Canada.

On top of being inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame, Richler is also this year’s recipient of the Canadian Legends Award, an award which is always given posthumously to a Canadian who was a pioneer in his or her respective field/fields. This award will be included in the Walk of Fame ceremony.

Burton Cummings and Ryan Reynolds Among 2011 Canada's Walk of Fame Inductees