thumb|right|250px|[[Flag of British Columbia|Provincial flag of British Columbia]]

thumb|right|250px|Map and location of British Columbia in Canada

This is a list of notable people who are from British Columbia, Canada, or have spent a large part or formative part of their career in that province.

Premiers

See List of premiers of British Columbia.

Members of Parliament

  • Jim Abbott
  • David Anderson
  • Thomas Speakman Barnett
  • Dave Barrett, former Premier of British Columbia
  • Ron Basford
  • Don Bell
  • Thomas Berger
  • Hewitt Bostock
  • Margaret Bridgman
  • Chuck Cadman
  • Iona Campagnolo, later Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia
  • Justin Trudeau, also Prime Minister of Canada
  • Pat Carney
  • Raymond Chan
  • Mary Collins
  • Chuck Cook
  • Jean Crowder
  • Nathan Cullen
  • John Cummins
  • Libby Davies
  • Stockwell Day
  • Amor De Cosmos, second Premier of British Columbia
  • Edgar Dewdney, later Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia
  • Herb Dhaliwal
  • Ujjal Dosanjh, former Premier of British Columbia
  • Tommy Douglas
  • John Duncan
  • David Emerson
  • Paul Forseth
  • Hedy Fry
  • Jim Gouk
  • Gurmant Grewal
  • Nina Grewal
  • Herbert Wilfred Herridge
  • Russ Hiebert
  • Jay Hill
  • Betty Hinton
  • John Horgan
  • Frank Howard
  • William Irvine
  • Pauline Jewett
  • Peter Julian
  • Douglas Jung
  • Jim Karpoff
  • Sophia Leung
  • Gary Lunn
  • Grace MacInnis
  • Ian Alistair Mackenzie
  • Roy MacLaren
  • Len Marchand
  • Keith Martin
  • Gerry McGeer
  • James Moore
  • Henry Nathan Jr.
  • Stephen Owen
  • George Pearkes, later Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia
  • Art Phillips, former mayor of Vancouver
  • Elmore Philpott
  • John Reynolds
  • Nelson Riis
  • Svend Robinson
  • Paul St. Pierre
  • Tom Siddon
  • Bill Siksay
  • Bob Skelly
  • Darrel Stinson
  • Chuck Strahl
  • John Turner, also Prime Minister of Canada
  • Ian Waddell
  • Mark Warawa
  • Randy White

Jurists

  • Beverley McLachlin, chief justice of Canada
  • Alfred Scow, First Status Indian judge BC Provincial Court

Other politicians

  • Luke Everett Strimbold, youngest mayor in British Columbia history
  • Emery Barnes
  • Wesley Drewett Black, Provincial Secretary 1952–1972
  • Richard Blanshard, first Governor of the Colony of Vancouver Island
  • Rosemary Brown
  • Frank Arthur Calder, First Nations MLA and Nisga'a politician
  • Sir James Douglas, colonial governor (all colonies)
  • Jennifer Granholm, Canadian/American politician and former Governor of Michigan (2003–2011); naturalized US citizen
  • Ginger Goodwin, Labour organizer
  • Guujaaw, Haida politician, activist and cultural leader
  • Edward John
  • Arthur Kennedy, governor of the united colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia
  • David Lam, philanthropist and Lieutenant-Governor
  • Rafe Mair
  • Grace McCarthy
  • Joy McPhail
  • Frederick Seymour, Governor of Vancouver Island and of British Columbia
  • William Fraser Tolmie
  • Joseph Trutch, colonial Lieutenant-Governor and first Lieutenant-Governor of the province of British Columbia

Scientists

  • Ian Affleck, physicist
  • Robert Edward Bell, nuclear physicist
  • Margaret Benston, chemist, computer scientist
  • Michael Bigg, marine biologist
  • Jim Chamberlin, aerodynamicist
  • Wade Davis, ethnobotanist
  • Ryan C.N. D'Arcy, neuroscientist
  • James E. Gill, geologist
  • John R. Hendricks, mathematician
  • Abram Hoffer, biochemist, physician
  • Frances Oldham Kelsey, pharmacologist
  • Vit Klemes, hydrologist
  • Mel Krajden, medical scientist
  • Robert T. Lackey, fisheries scientist, ecologist, zoologist
  • Robert Langlands, mathematician
  • Jerrold E. Marsden, applied mathematician
  • Bill Mathews, geologist, volcanologist, engineer
  • Brian McConaghy, forensic scientist
  • Ian McTaggart-Cowan, ecologist
  • Patrick McTaggart-Cowan, meteorologist
  • Faron Moller, computer scientist
  • Barth Netterfield, astrophysicist
  • Edward Faraday Odlum, geologist
  • Santa J. Ono, biologist
  • Robert Methven Petrie, astronomer
  • Jerilynn Prior, medical scientist, endocrinologist
  • Scott D. Sampson, paleontologist
  • Martin Schechter, epidemiologist
  • Robert Fletcher Shaw, engineer
  • John Alexander Sinton, medical scientist, doctor, malariologist
  • Frank Smith, psycholinguist
  • Michael Smith, biochemist
  • Wayne Smith, statistician
  • David Suzuki, biologist, ecologist
  • Robert Thirsk, engineer, physician, astronaut
  • John Lancelot Todd, physician, parasitologist
  • Bjarni Tryggvason, engineer, astronaut
  • Paul Tseng, applied mathematician
  • William Vickrey, Nobel Prize-winning economist
  • Andrew Weaver, climate scientist
  • Franklin White, public health scientist

Television/film actors and musicians

  • Daniel Adair, drummer
  • Bryan Adams, singer
  • Evan Adams, First Nations actor (Smoke Signals)
  • Pamela Anderson, actress (Baywatch, V.I.P.)
  • Aaron Ashmore, actor (Warehouse 13)
  • Shawn Ashmore, actor (X-Men)
  • Long John Baldry, musician, songwriter
  • Bill Barlee, politician, TV host (Gold Trails and Ghost Towns)
  • Bbno$, rapper
  • Gil Bellows, actor
  • Michael Bublé, singer
  • Raymond Burr, actor (Perry Mason)
  • Jim Byrnes, musician, actor (Highlander)
  • Nicholas Campbell, actor (Da Vinci's Inquest)
  • Chris Carter, screenwriter, producer, director (X-Files)
  • Anna Cathcart, actress
  • Kim Cattrall, actress (Sex and the City)
  • Sarah Chalke, actress (Scrubs)
  • Shannon Chan-Kent, Voice Actress
  • Tommy Chong, actor, comedian, cannabis rights activist (Cheech & Chong)
  • Hayden Christensen, actor (Star Wars)
  • Claire Corlett, Actress
  • Ian James Corlett, Voice Actor
  • Amanda Crew, actress (Silicon Valley)
  • Thomas Middleditch, actor (Silicon Valley)
  • Mackenzie Davis, actress (Terminator: Dark Fate)
  • William B. Davis, actor (X-Files)
  • Yvonne De Carlo, actress (The Munsters)
  • Mac Demarco, musician, multi-instrumentalist
  • Edward Dmytryk, film director
  • James Doohan, actor (Star Trek)
  • Brian Drummond, Voice actor
  • Atom Egoyan, film director
  • Aryana Engineer, actress (Orphan)
  • Jodelle Ferland, actress
  • Nathan Fielder, comedian, actor
  • Noel Fisher, actor (The Twilight Saga)
  • Roy Forbes (Bim), musician
  • Judith Forst, opera singer
  • David Foster, songwriter, record producer
  • Michael J Fox, actor, producer and health activist
  • Nelly Furtado, singer-songwriter
  • Chief Dan George, actor (Little Big Man, Cariboo Cowboy)
  • Evan Goldberg, screenwriter (Superbad, Pineapple Express)
  • Matthew Good, musician
  • Grimes (musician), musician
  • June Havoc, actress
  • Carter Hayden, actor and voice actor (Bakugan: New Vestroia, Total Drama)
  • Bill Henderson (Canadian singer), musician (Chilliwack)
  • Ben Heppner, opera singer
  • Matt Hill, Canadian-American voice actor
  • Jacob Hoggard, musician (Hedley)
  • John Ireland, actor
  • Robert Ito, actor
  • Joshua Jackson, actor (Dawson’s Creek)
  • Carly Rae Jepsen, musician
  • Alexz Johnson, singer, actress
  • Avan Jogia, actor
  • Alessandro Juliani, Actor, Voice actor
  • Joe Keithley, musician, songwriter (D.O.A.)
  • Allan King, film director
  • Taylor Kitsch, actor and model (Friday Night Lights)
  • Jett Klyne, Actor
  • Elias Koteas, actor (The Thin Red Line)
  • Diana Krall, musician
  • Kristin Kreuk, actress (Smallville)
  • Nicholas Lea, actor (X-Files)
  • Darryl Lenox, comedian
  • Alex Lifeson, guitarist (Rush)
  • Lights (musician), musician
  • Evangeline Lilly, actress (Lost, The Hurt Locker)
  • Jessica Lowndes, actress (90210)
  • Jessica Lucas, actress
  • Alexander Ludwig, actor (Vikings, The Hunger Games)
  • Leon Mandrake, illusionist (Mandrake the Magician)
  • Sarah McLachlan, musician
  • Brandon Jay McLaren, actor (Power Rangers: S.P.D., She's The Man)
  • Rosa Mendes, model, professional wrestler
  • Shay Mitchell, actress (Pretty Little Liars)
  • Moka Only, rapper, singer and record producer
  • Carrie-Anne Moss, actress (The Matrix)
  • Meghan Ory, actress
  • Molly Parker, actress (House of Cards)
  • Barbara Parkins, actress
  • Daniel Powter, musician, singer-songwriter, and pianist
  • Jason Priestley, actor
  • Kirsten Prout, actress
  • John Qualen, actor
  • Josh Ramsay, musician (Marianas Trench)
  • Sophia Reid-Gantzert, actress and dancer
  • Mike Reno, musician, songwriter
  • Ryan Reynolds, actor (Green Lantern, Deadpool)
  • Donnelly Rhodes, actor (Da Vinci's Inquest)
  • Emily Bett Rickards, actress
  • Seth Rogen, actor, comedian, writer, producer (Pineapple Express, Superbad, Knocked Up)
  • Will Sasso, actor (Mad TV)
  • Pablo Schreiber, actor (The Wire, Orange is the New Black)
  • Drew Scott, (Property Brothers)
  • Jonathan Scott, (Property Brothers)
  • Michael Shanks, actor
  • Nell Shipman, actress, film director
  • Alexis Smith, actress
  • Dallas Smith, musician
  • Cobie Smulders, actress (How I Met Your Mother)
  • Jewel Staite, actress
  • Ryan Stiles, comedian, producer (Whose Line Is It Anyway?)
  • Dorothy Stratten, actress, model
  • Brad Swaile, Voice Actor
  • Bobby Taylor, Motown singer (Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers)
  • Jon Mikl Thor, singer, performer and bodybuilder
  • Meg Tilly, actress
  • Jacob Tremblay, actor
  • Daniel Wesley, musician
  • Hudson Williams, actor (Heated Rivalry)
  • Finn Wolfhard, actor, voice actor, musician (Stranger Things, It)
  • Glenn Wool, stand-up comedian

Athletes

  • Karl Alzner
  • Glenn Anderson, ice hockey player
  • Jeevan Badwal
  • Kevin Bahl
  • Arshdeep Bains
  • Peter Bakonyi (1933–1997), Hungarian-born Canadian Olympic fencer
  • Tyson Barrie
  • Mathew Barzal
  • Jason Bay (born 1978), Canadian-American baseball player
  • Russell Baze
  • Connor Bedard
  • Jamie Benn, ice hockey player
  • Jordie Benn
  • Zach Benson
  • Allen Berg
  • Mitch Berger (born 1972)
  • Doug Bodger
  • Isaac Boehmer
  • Steve Bozek
  • Tyler Breeze
  • Rod Brind'Amour
  • Laurent Brossoit
  • Troy Brouwer
  • Hy Buller (1926–1968), All Star NHL ice hockey player
  • Kyle Burroughs
  • Bowen Byram
  • Macklin Celebrini
  • Dennis Cholowski
  • Brandon Clarke (1996-2026)
  • Chase Claypool
  • Dylan Coghlan
  • Jon Cooper, NHL head coach
  • Jon Cornish
  • Angus Crookshank
  • Nick Dasovic
  • John Davison
  • Adam Deadmarsh
  • Ryan Dempster, baseball player
  • Sunny Dhinsa
  • Brenden Dillon
  • Dillon Dube
  • Ryan Ellis, ice hockey player
  • Dante Fabbro
  • Landon Ferraro
  • Ray Ferraro
  • Craig Forrest
  • Jeff Francis
  • Cody Franson
  • Kaleigh Fratkin (born 1992), professional ice hockey player
  • Freddy Fuller
  • Dylan Garand
  • Jenn Gardiner
  • Danny Gare
  • Jason Garrison
  • Leah Goldstein (born 1969), Canadian-born Israeli professional road racing cyclist winner of the Race Across America, World Bantamweight Kickboxing Champion, and Israel Duathlon national champion
  • Gage Goncalves
  • Shaul Gordon (born 1994), Canadian-Israeli Olympic fencer
  • Josh Gorges
  • Chelsea Green
  • Travis Green
  • Nancy Greene
  • Stu Grimson
  • Dan Hamhuis
  • Rick Hansen
  • Rich Harden
  • Danton Heinen
  • Doug Hepburn, strongman
  • Adin Hill
  • Jevon Holland
  • Ken Holland
  • Shawn Horcoff
  • Jordyn Huitema
  • Dryden Hunt
  • Daniel Igali
  • Tij Iginla
  • Vincent Iorio
  • Barret Jackman
  • Tristan Jarry
  • Harry Jerome
  • Nina Jobst-Smith
  • Lucas Johansen
  • Ryan Johansen
  • Teyo Johnson
  • Alistair Johnston
  • Harry Jones
  • Noah Juulsen
  • Evander Kane
  • Paul Kariya
  • Steve Kariya
  • Ethan Katzberg, Olympic Shot-Putter
  • Izzak Kelly
  • Alexander Kerfoot
  • Jujhar Khaira
  • Ben Kindel
  • Olivia Knowles
  • Chuck Kobasew
  • Larry Kwong
  • Jason LaBarbera
  • Andrew Ladd
  • Silken Laumann
  • Brett Lawrie
  • Curtis Lazar
  • Angela Lee, mixed martial artist
  • Christian Lee, mixed martial artist
  • Bob Lenarduzzi
  • Doug Lidster
  • Cayden Lindstrom
  • Adam Loewen
  • Milan Lucic
  • Rory MacDonald
  • Liam Mackenzie
  • Beck Malenstyn
  • Cali Martinez
  • Dysin Mayo
  • Darren McCarty
  • Curtis McKenzie
  • Mark McMorris
  • Fraser Minten
  • Willie Mitchell
  • Domenic Mobilio (1969-2004)
  • Andy Moog
  • Greg Moore
  • Justin Morneau (born 1981), baseball player
  • Brendan Morrison
  • Steve Nash (born 1974), basketball player
  • Cam Neely
  • Kimberly Newell
  • Rob Niedermayer
  • Scott Niedermayer
  • Michael Nonni
  • Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
  • Evan Olmstead
  • Tyler O'Neill
  • Kyle O'Reilly
  • Pat Onstad
  • Lui Passaglia
  • James Paxton
  • Simon Pond
  • Vasek Pospisil
  • Carey Price
  • Joshua Ravensbergen
  • Mark Recchi
  • Gareth Rees
  • Morgan Rielly
  • Griffin Reinhart
  • Max Reinhart
  • Sam Reinhart
  • Kevin Reynolds, figure skater; 2013 Four Continents champion and 2014 Winter Olympics team silver medalist
  • Cliff Ronning
  • Darcy Rota
  • Joe Sakic
  • Mike Santorelli
  • Eli Schenkel (born 1992), Olympic fencer
  • Justin Schultz
  • Brent Seabrook
  • Valter Sedin
  • Niko Sigur
  • Christine Sinclair
  • Colton Sissons
  • Justin Sourdif
  • Paul Spoljaric, baseball player
  • Logan Stankoven
  • Kalib Starnes
  • Troy Stecher, ice hockey player
  • Ari Taub (born 1971), Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler
  • John Tenta
  • Shea Theodore
  • Tiny Thompson
  • Cliff Thorburn
  • Devon Toews
  • Conor Trainor
  • Kyle Turris
  • John van't Schip
  • Jake Virtanen
  • Aaron Volpatti
  • Larry Walker, baseball player
  • Ryan Walter
  • Joel Waterman
  • Jordan Weal
  • Shea Weber
  • Percy Williams, sprinter
  • Parker Wotherspoon
  • Tyler Wotherspoon
  • Steve Yzerman (born 1965), ice hockey player
  • Adam Zaruba

Artists

  • Hank Bull, painter
  • Emily Carr, artist
  • Kate Craig, artist
  • Olea Marion Davis, ceramist, sculptor
  • Iris Hauser (born 1956), painter
  • Fred Herzog, photographer
  • Clive Holden, poet, film director and visual artist
  • Karen Jamieson, dancer and choreographer
  • Beatrice Lennie, painter, sculptor
  • Glenn Lewis
  • Attila Richard Lukacs, artist
  • Charles Marega, sculptor
  • Len Norris, editorial cartoonist
  • Sophie Pemberton, painter
  • Bill Reid, artist
  • David Rimmer, filmmaker
  • Jack Shadbolt, artist
  • Godfrey Stephens, artist
  • Shane Wilson, artist

Journalists and writers

  • Doug Beardsley, poet and educator
  • Bill Bissett, poet
  • George Bowering, author
  • Robert Bringhurst, poet
  • Douglas Coupland, author (genX fiction)
  • Janice Cowan
  • Ranj Dhaliwal, author (crime-fiction)
  • Ralph Edwards, naturalist/author (Caruso of Lonesome Lake)
  • Timothy Findley, author
  • Allan Fotheringham, columnist (politics, often satirical)
  • Austin Gary, author
  • William Gibson, author (Neuromancer)
  • Terry Glavin, columnist/author and naturalist (ecology, fisheries, politics)
  • John Stephen Hill, playwright Steve Hill (When I'm 64)
  • Bruce Hutchison, editor/columnist and author (The Fraser)
  • W.P. Kinsella, author/columnist (Shoeless Joe Goes To Iowa)
  • Mark Leiren-Young, author/playwright/screenwriter (Never Shoot a Stampede Queen)
  • Malcolm Lowry, novelist (Under the Volcano, October Ferry To Gabriola)
  • Eswyn Lyster, genealogist and war bride author (Most Excellent Citizens, Trafford Press 2010)
  • Keith Maillard, novelist, poet (Gloria, Motet, Two Strand River)
  • Emily St. John Mandel, novelist
  • Daphne Marlatt, poet
  • Margaret Lally "Ma" Murray, editor, columnist
  • Susan Musgrave, poet
  • Kliph Nesteroff, writer, broadcaster
  • Rohan O'Grady, novelist (Let's Kill Uncle, Pippin's Journal)
  • Stan Persky, author and journalist
  • Eden Robinson, novelist (Monkey Beach)
  • Spider Robinson, author (science fiction)
  • George Ryga, playwright (The Ecstasy Of Rita Joe)
  • Omar Sachedina, journalist and news anchor (CTV National News)
  • Paul St. Pierre (Breaking Smith's Quarter Horse)
  • Linus Sebastian, technology YouTuber (Linus Tech Tips)
  • Robin Skelton, poet
  • Lauren Southern, right-wing activist and YouTuber
  • William Fraser Tolmie, HBC Fur trade employee, medical doctor and later politician
  • Margaret Trudeau, author
  • Jack Wasserman, columnist (society, show biz, politics)

Others

  • Brother Twelve
  • Terry Fox
  • Keith Hunter Jesperson, The Happy Face Killer
  • Mary John Sr.
  • Masajiro Miyazaki, osteopath, coroner and "bush doctor"
  • Jim Pattison, businessman and Fortune 500 member
  • Caspar Phair, Lillooet, pioneer and first government agent
  • Robert Pickton, serial killer
  • Jack Pickup, physician, the "Flying Doctor of British Columbia"
  • Linus Sebastian, YouTuber (Linus Media Group)
  • Arran Stephens, author; founder of Nature's Path
  • Amy Soranno, animal rights activist
  • Skip Triplett, former president of Kwantlen Polytechnic University
  • Rick Hansen, athlete (Paralympic Games), activist, and philanthropist
  • Christopher Paul Neil, Mr. Swirl
  • Simon Nessman, model, activist
  • Chris and Patrick Vörös, Online personalities known as Da Vinki Twins

References