I thought this was interesting…

Who is the greatest Canadian ever?

1.2 million Canadians voted in 2004 during a CBC reality TV show and collectively decided that the greatest of them all was Tommy Douglas.

I had never heard of him but found his tale worth promoting. He earned the respect of millions of Canadians by following his dream for universally accessible medical care. After being hospitalized at the age of 10 and threatened with the loss of his leg due to his family's inability to pay for specialized care, he followed a life path into politics and refined his skills as a fiery speaker becoming Canada's ‘father of Medicare'. His notion, forged in a Baptist college, of a "social gospel," a vision of religion-in-action, was the foundation of his life.

As head of North America’s first-ever socialist government, and amid widespread skepticism, Douglas mobilized aggressively, passing more than 100 bills during his first term. He introduced paved roads, sewage systems and power to most farmers and managed to reduce the provincial debt by $20 million.

As head of North America's first-ever socialist government, and amid widespread skepticism, Douglas mobilized aggressively, passing more than 100 bills during his first term. He introduced paved roads, sewage systems and power to most farmers and managed to reduce the provincial debt by $20 million.

Read about the Top Ten Greatest Canadians from the 2004 Survey by the CBC: or Watch the CBC report above (#5, David Suzuki is featured as an Op/Ed writer on the Good News Network.)

1. Tommy Douglas 2. Terry Fox 3. Pierre Elliott Trudeau 4. Sir Frederick Banting 5. David Suzuki 6. Lester B. Pearson 7. Don Cherry 8. Sir John A. Macdonald 9. Alexander Graham Bell 10. Wayne Gretzky