Great Canadian Discoveries and Inventions

Canadians have made various discoveries and inventions. Some of the most famous are listed below.

• Alexander Graham Bell — hit on the idea of the telephone at his summer house in Canada.
• Joseph-Armand Bombardier — invented the snowmobile, a light-weight winter vehicle.
• Sir Sandford Fleming — invented the worldwide system of standard time zones.
• Matthew Evans and Henry Woodward — together invented the first electric light bulb and later sold the patent to Thomas Edison who, more famously, commercialized the light bulb.
• Reginald Fessenden — contributed to the invention of radio, sending the first wireless voice message in the world.
• Dr. Wilder Penfield — was a pioneering brain surgeon at McGill University in Montreal, and was known as “the greatest living Canadian.”
• Dr. John A. Hopps — invented the first cardiac pacemaker, used today to save the lives of people with heart disorders.
• SPAR Aerospace / National Research Council —invented the Canadarm, a robotic arm used in outer
  space.
• Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie — of Research in Motion (RIM)—a wireless communications company known for its most famous invention—the BlackBerry.

Picture: Sir Frederick Banting of Toronto and Charles Best discovered insulin, a hormone to treat diabetes that has saved 16 million lives worldwide.

Want to learn more about Canada’s history? Visit a museum or national historic site! Through artifacts, works of art, stories, images and documents, museums explore the diverse events and accomplishments that formed Canada’s history. Museums can be found in almost every city and town across Canada. National historic sites are located in all provinces and territories and include such diverse places as
battlefields, archaeological sites, buildings and sacred spaces. To find a museum or national historic site in your community or region, visit the websites of the Virtual Museum of Canada and Parks Canada listed at the end of this guide.

The prosperity and diversity of our country depend on all Canadians working together to face challenges of the future. In seeking to become a citizen, you are joining a country that, with your active participation, will continue to grow and thrive.