Sylvia Sweeney

Sylvia Sweeney

Sylvia Sweeney is “Canada’s first lady of basketball.” She was born in Montréal, the daughter ofrailway cook James Sweeney, and music and piano teacher Daisy Sweeney (née Peterson),whose brother was the legendary pianist Oscar Peterson.Sweeney is a talented musician...
Herbert H. Carnegie (1919-2012)

Herbert H. Carnegie (1919-2012)

Herbert H. Carnegie was a hockey player and philanthropist. Perhaps The CanadianEncyclopedia put it best: “Arguably the first Black Canadian hockey star, Herb Carnegie iswidely regarded as the best Black player never to play in the National Hockey League (NHL).”Born...
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is a Canadian football player and physician – the fourth medical schoolgraduate to play in the National Football League (NFL) and the first active player to hold amedical degree. He is also an avid sailor since...
Portia White (1911-1968)

Portia White (1911-1968)

Portia May White, a gifted singer and teacher, was the first Black Canadian concert singer togain international renown. Born in Truro, Nova Scotia, Portia White was the third child in afamily of 13 children. Her father’s parents had been enslaved in the...
Rosemary Brown (1930-2003)

Rosemary Brown (1930-2003)

“To be Black and female in a society which is both racist and sexist is to be in the uniqueposition of having nowhere to go but up.” – Rosemary BrownRosemary Brown (née Wedderburn) was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and came to Canada in 1951to study social work, first...