List of people from the Halifax Regional Municipality

This is a list of people who were born in the communities making up the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia or spent a significant part of their lives there.

Politicians

• John Buchanan PC, QC (born 1931), lawyer, former politician, 20th Premier of Nova Scotia 1978-1990, member of the Senate of Canada 1990-2006
• Joseph Howe (1804–1873), journalist, politician and public servant
• Alexa McDonough (born 1944), former Member of Parliament and past leader of the provincial and federal New Democratic Party
• John Sparrow David Thompson (1845–1894), Prime Minister of Canada
• Sir Charles Tupper (1821–1915), Prime Minister of Canada

Business leaders

• Enos Collins, banker
• Samuel Cunard (1787–1865), steamship line founder
• William Dennis (born 1922), CEO of Halifax Herald, Red Cross Humanitarian award
• Michael Donovan (born 1953), former CEO and current chairman of DHX Media; recipient of an Academy Award for Best Documentary^[1]
• Alexander Keith (1795–1893), brewmaster; former mayor of the city of Halifax; first Grand Master Mason for Nova Scotia
• Charles Peter McColough (1922–2006), former chairman and CEO of the Xerox Corporation
• John Risley (born c. 1948), founder of Clearwater Fine Foods and Ocean Nutrition Canada
• John Fitzwilliam Stairs (1848–1904), entrepreneur and statesman
• William Machin Stairs (1789–1865), merchant, banker, and statesman

Military and naval figures

17th-18th centuries

• Charles Lawrence, Father Le Loutre's War
• Father Pierre Maillard, Father Le Loutre's War
• Captain Charles Morris, King George's War

19th century

• John Charles Beckwith, Battle of Waterloo
• Edward Belcher by Stephen Pearce, Franklin's lost expedition
• Lieutenant-Colonel James J. Bremner, North-West Rebellion
• Sir John Eardley Inglis, Indian Mutiny
• Clonard Keating, Africa
• John Wimburn Laurie, Crimean War
• John Houlton Marshall, Battle of Trafalgar, Province House (Nova Scotia)
• Captain William B.C.A. Parker, Crimean War
• Sir John Coape Sherbrooke, Lt Gov. of Nova Scotia, War of 1812
• William Grant Stairs, Africa
• Provo Wallis, War of 1812
• Major Augustus F. Welsford, Crimean War
• George Augustus Westphal, Battle of Trafalgar, Admiralty Garden, Stadacona, CFB Halifax, Nova Scotia
• Sir William Williams, 1st Baronet, of Kars by William Gush, Crimean War
• John Taylor Wood, American Civil War

20th century

• Philip Bent, Halifax-born recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Francis Joseph Fitzgerald, Second Boer War, Fitzgerald Bridge in Halifax Public Gardens
• Harold Taylor Wood Grant, commanded HMS Enterprise (D52) in the Battle of the Bay of Biscay
• Mona Louise Parsons, World War II

Scientists

• Oswald Avery (1877–1955), physician and medical researcher
• Walter A. Bell (1889–1969), geologist and paleontologist
• Erik Demaine (born 1981), computer scientist and professor
• Abraham Pineo Gesner (born 1797), physician and geologist who invented kerosene

Movies, television, visual artists and authors

• Chuck Campbell (born 1969), actor
• George Elliott Clarke (born 1960), writer and academic
• Mike Clattenburg (born 1968), TV and film director
• Joey Comeau (born 1980), author and co-creator of the webcomic A Softer World
• Mark Farrell (born 1968), comedian, writer, producer
• Gerald Ferguson, artist
• Thom Fitzgerald (born 1968), filmmaker
• Leslie Hope (born 1965), actress
• Michael Jackson (born 1970), actor
• Sarah Jeanette Jackson, artist
• Ron James (born 1958), comedian and actor
• Ruby Keeler (1909–1993), actress, dancer
• Garry Neill Kennedy, artist, NSCAD University president 1967-1996, recipient of the Order of Canada award
• Steven Laffoley (born 1965), author
• Ernest Lawson (1873–1939), artist
• Robert MacNeil (born 1931), former PBS anchorman, journalist
• Owen McCarron (1929–2005), cartoonist
• Peter North (born 1957), pornographic actor
• Ellen Page (born 1987), Academy Award-nominated actress
• Nikki Payne (born 1976), comedian
• George Steeves (born 1945), contemporary photographer
• John Paul Tremblay (born 1968), actor and writer
• The Unknown Comic, real name Murray Langston (born 1945), actor, comedian
• Cheryl Wagner, clown and puppeteer

Musicians

• Brian Ahern, music producer
• April Wine (band), formed in 1969
• Gary Beals (born 1982), singer
• Buck 65 (born 1972), rapper, hip hop artist and MC
• Classified, real name Luke Boyd, rapper
• Holly Cole (born 1963), singer
• Tanya Davis
• Melanie Doane (born 1967), singer, songwriter
• Denny Doherty (1940–2007), singer, songwriter
• Jenn Grant
• Ryan Hemsworth, DJ and producer
• Rebekah Higgs
• Jale (band), formed in 1992
• Kirk Logan (1921–1997), fiddler
• Ryan MacGrath
• Matt Mays (born 1979), singer, songwriter
• Sarah McLachlan (born 1968), singer, songwriter, pianist
• Joel Plaskett (born 1974), singer, songwriter
• Sloan (band), formed in 1991

Sportspeople

• Eric Boulton, ice hockey player
• Sidney Crosby (born 1987), hockey player, Stanley Cup champion, Olympic gold medalist (hockey)
• George Dixon (1870–1908), first black world boxing champion in any weight class; first ever Canadian-born boxing champion
• TJ Grant (born 1984), mixed martial artist, UFC Lightweight contender
• Kirk Johnson (born 1972), boxer
• Colleen Jones (born 1959), curler
• Alex Killorn (born 1989), professional ice hockey player for the Tampa Bay Lightning
• Nathan MacKinnon, first overall pick in 2013 NHL Entry Draft 2012 QMJHL rookie of year and Halifax Mooseheads
• Brad Marchand, hockey player, 2011 rookie Stanley Cup Champion; former Halifax Moosehead
• Ian Millar (born 1947), show jumper
• Wendell Young (born 1963), hockey player
• Joe DiPenta, hockey player, 2007 Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks

Criminals

• Alexander Keith, Jr. (1827-1875), American Civil War secret agent and later mass manslaughterer

Other

• Chögyam Trungpa, Buddhist teacher

References