What makes a great dad? As Father's Day approaches, let us count the qualities.
Strength. Integrity. Wisdom. Sensitivity. Your father may be the one who plays catch with you, teaches you how to ride a bike, who builds ice rinks for hockey in the backyard and cries when his son is selected in the NHL draft.
As you grow older, you continue to go to him for advice, to draw on the years of experience that you haven't yet enjoyed.
And what great experiences our favourite Canadian fathers have had.
In selecting them, we looked at many different traits. All have worked hard to gain prominent standing in this country, some in philanthropy, others in sports, still others in arts and science. They can be distinguished for their persistence, their grace under pressure and the great lessons they can pass down to their children.
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Happy Father's Day, gents!
Michael Bublé
AP
The Burnaby, B.C.-born crooner welcomed his first child Noah with wife Luisana Lopilato last year, beaming as he introduced the boy to the world on Instagram. He later tattooed Noah's name on his wrist. Now THAT'S a devoted father.
David Cronenberg
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The "Baron of Blood" has long made Canada proud on the world stage with films such as "The Fly" and "Videodrome." But the filmmaker is also father to Brandon, a budding director whose movie "Antiviral" screened alongside his dad's "Cosmopolis" at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. It was the first time that a father and son both had films at the event. His daughters, Caitlin and Cassandra, have also followed in their dad's footsteps: Caitlin is an accomplished photographer, while Cassandra is also a director.
Walter Gretzky
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Walter is the ultimate hockey dad, having coached his son Wayne on a backyard rink in their Brantford, Ont. home. He taught Wayne to skate where the puck is going to be, not where it's been (some of the greatest dad advice anyone could ever get). Brothers Brent, Keith and Glen learned to play on the same rink. Brent was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1992, while Keith never made the NHL and hockey never quite worked out for Glen the way it did for his brothers.
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Chris Hadfield
AP
Cmdr. Chris Hadfield reignited Canadians' interest in the universe with regular dispatches from the International Space Station (ISS). His son Evan played a huge role in establishing his social media presence, maintaining Facebook, Tumblr and Google+ accounts for up to 16 hours a day while dad was floating around among the stars, The Guardian reported. Talk about a great father-son partnership. His other son Kyle lives in Wuhan, China, while daughter Kristin was attending Trinity College in Dublin as of April 2013, according to The Canadian Press.
Marc Kielburger
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A lot of people say they're out to make the world a better place for children, but Marc Kielburger lives it. He is a co-founder with brother Craig of "Free the Children," a charity that works to promote development in the Third World. He is also senior advisor for "Me to We," a social enterprise whose profits support Free the Children. The birth of his daughter Lily-Rose in 2012 has underscored the work that he does: "It takes on a whole new meaning when someone you're helping is your own daughter's age," he told Canadian Living.
Wab Kinew
Canadian Press
Activist, intellectual, father. These are three words to describe Wab Kinew, who successfully defended Joseph Boyden's "The Orenda" in the Canada Reads 2014 literary battle, and who is now being touted as a possible candidate for national chief of the Assembly of First Nations. He has lately emerged as a critic of Bill C-33, the First Nations Control of First Nations Education Act, which has been slammed by its detractors as anything but. He's a father to two boys, aged six and nine years old, who enjoy hockey, judo and Ojibwe culture.
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Eugene Levy
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Back in 1999, Eugene Levy played the hapless Jim's father in "American Pie." He had been around for years before, but the role gave his career an extra boost that saw him star in high-profile comedies for years to come. In real life, he is father to TV personality Dan Levy, with whom he will soon appear in upcoming CBC sitcom "Schitt's Creek." His daughter Sarah Levy is also an actress.
Mike Myers
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The Scarborough, Ont.-born star of the "Wayne's World" and "Austin Powers" movies appeared on Hank Azaria's online "Fatherhood" series and said the following about having children: "Having a kid will be like falling in love for the first time when you're 12, but like, every day." He would know; he has two kids, Spike and Sunday Molly, with wife Kelly Tisdale.
Gordon Pinsent
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For children of the '80s and early '90s, Gordon Pinsent is the voice of "Babar" the elephant. But for many others, he's been a fixture of film and television for decades, in shows such as "Quentin Durgens, M.P." and films including "Away From Her." He's known for his grave, deep, grandfatherly voice that is by turns melancholic and comforting. He is also father with late wife Charmion King to Leah Pinsent, an actress in her own right, as well as Barry and Beverley Kennedy, from an earlier marriage, The Globe and Mail reported.
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Ivan Reitman
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Canada can lay claim to one of the greatest comedy minds of our time, a man who is partially responsible for classics such as "Animal House," "Ghostbusters" and "Stripes." His aptitude for filmmaking trickled down to his son Jason, who has become a director in his own right with films such as "Up in the Air" and "Juno." The showbiz bug has also extended to daughter Catherine Reitman, who has starred in films such as "Knocked Up" and "I Love You, Man." His other daughter, Caroline Reitman, appeared in his 1997 film "Father's Day."
Martin St. Louis
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Grace and persistence are two values that hockey player Martin St. Louis can pass down to his three sons, Ryan, Lucas and Mason. At 5'8", he has overcome criticism for being too small and became an elite player with the Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Rangers. Initially passed over for the 2014 Canadian men's Olympic hockey team, he later replaced Steven Stamkos and played in five out of six games.
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