On Tuesday, Aug. 23, Canada’s Walk of Fame, along with Corus Entertainment, inducted six new Canadian stars.
Each has been selected for having excelled in their respective field, for fuelling Canadian pride and for inspiring the next generation to follow in their footsteps.
The inductees for 2016 are:
Al Waxman
Across Canada, Al Waxman will always be known as “the King.” His career began on CBC children’s radio in 1949. After the introduction of television to Canada in 1952, he appeared in CBC television dramas. Waxman completed more than 1000 radio, television, film, and theatre productions as either actor or director. Lauded for his pre-eminent role in crafting Canada’s cultural coming of age, he was often referred to as Canada’s cultural ambassador and a national treasure.
King of Kensington is one of the most successful Canadian television series to date, and at one time had such cultural impact that some viewers who were new to Canada learned to speak English by watching it.
Jason Priestley
Jason Priestley is one of the most versatile talents in the entertainment business, both in front of and behind the camera. For more than three decades, he has worked in all aspects of film and television as actor, director and producer. Since ruling the airways in the 90s as teenage heartthrob, Brandon Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210, Priestley has amassed an extensive list of credits and accolades.
In addition to starring in and executive producing Global’s hit series, Private Eyes, this year Priestley can be seen opposite Shawn Doyle and Joanne Kelly in the independent feature “Away From Everywhere” and with Molly Ringwald in the new family comedy Raising Expectations. His latest film Zoom starring Gael Garcia Bernal, directed by Pedro Morelli and produced by Rhombus Media premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. Earlier this year, he received the 2015 ACTRA National Award of Excellence. He is also gearing up to bring the life of the late beloved SNL alumnus Phil Hartman back to the screen in the form of a biopic with production slated to begin summer 2016.
Corey Hart
Corey Hart is recognized as one of Canada’s most successful singer-songwriters, selling over 16 million records worldwide by amassing 9 consecutive US Billboard Top 40 Hits, while scoring an impressive 30 top 40 singles in his native Canada (Including 11 – Top 10s). He’s a Grammy-nominated, ASCAP and multiple Juno, Quebec ADISQ award winner.
Corey’s video Sunglasses at Night became a staple on MTV during the summer of 1984. The single was an international sensation propelling the young Corey to the summit of the pop world with frenzied female fan adulation reminiscent of The Beatles in the early 1960’s. He´s performed in arenas from Montreal to Manila and from Tokyo to Toronto where he sold out the 25,000-capacity CNE Grandstand in the summer of 1985.
Hart currently lives in The Bahamas with his four children and wife, Quebec singer, Julie Masse Hart.
Deepa Mehta
Deepa Mehta is an Oscar-nominated (Water), trans-national filmmaker whose work is celebrated on an international scale. Her emotionally resonating, award-winning films have played every major film festival, and many remain audience favourites. She is best known for her Elemental Trilogy: Earth, Fire and Water. Other films include, Bollywood/Hollywood, Heaven on Earth, and the epic adaptation of Midnight’s Children, Salman Rushdie’s three-time Booker Prize winning novel.
Her work challenges traditions and stereotypes and is always daring, fearless and provocative. Mehta is both a rebel and a humanist, and that spirit saturates her newest work, Beeba Boys, a tough, stylish gangster film.
Darryl Sittler
Few players in Toronto Maple Leafs history captured the imagination of hockey fans, and a place in their hearts, like number 27, Darryl Sittler. Selected as the Leafs’ first pick and eighth over-all in the 1970 Entry Draft, Sittler’s offensive exploits began to shine during his third-season in the league when he scored 77 points. At the age of 24, he became the second-youngest captain in team history.
In 1976, Sittler would achieve legendary status, not only in Toronto, but across Canada and the hockey world. It began at Maple Leaf Gardens on February 7, 1976 in a game against the Boston Bruins. While centering a line with Lanny McDonald and Errol Thompson, Sittler scored six goals and added four assists to set a NHL record – one that still stands today – for most points in a game with 10. That record-breaking moment helped Sittler become the first ever Maple Leaf to reach 100 points in a single season.
Later that April, Sittler’s sensational scoring streak would continue in the Stanley Cup playoffs when he scored five goals in a single game against the Philadelphia Flyers, tying a playoff record.
In 1989, Sittler was inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Jeanne Beker
Jeanne Beker started her career as an actress, but moved into radio and then television as co-host of the ground-breaking series, The NewMusic, and entertainment anchor on CityPulse News. She went on to become the host of the internationally syndicated Fashion Television (FT), which aired for 27 years and had viewers in more than 130 countries.
Jeanne is the former editor-in-chief of FQ and SIR magazines, and author of five books, including her 2010 autobiography, Finding Myself in Fashion. Jeanne was a contributing editor of The Toronto Star, The Kit, and a columnist for Metro, and is currently a featured style columnist for The Globe and Mail and Post City magazine. She also writes for a number of lifestyle publications.
Her fashion and editorial credits include her clothing line, Edit by Jeanne Beker, as well a number of product lines, including shoes, jewelry and sunglasses. Jeanne was recently named Style Editor of The Shopping Channel, and hosts a regular series for the channel entitled Style Matters with Jeanne Beker.
Her numerous awards include her recent appointment to the Order of Canada in 2014 for her support of the Canadian fashion industry; the 2012 Canadian Award of Distinction from the Banff World Media Festival; and being honoured with a Canadian Screen Achievement Award for the role she played in changing the way Canadians watch television.
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