Bigger Canadian icon - Wayne Gretzky or Terry Fox?

[sr edler]

Quebec is vastly different, it isn't just another province like most of mainland Canada. Hard to explain, but Quebec is like a different society in many regards due to their history and such. Snarled bit of Canadian history there, too much to go into on this forum. Their license plates still have "We Remember" on the bottom in french of course, referring to the Plains Of Abraham, which was like a couple of centuries ago, non?

Yeah. I haven't been to Canada, but just from looking at pics of Quebec City – and then of Toronto or Winnipeg or Calgary or Vancouver – you can tell it's a bit different, at least stylistically. It has a bit of that old school European thing where everything of perceived note is supposed to look pretty, and with various harmonious color schemes on top of it, depending on the season. Almost like you're expecting a fox to strut you by on the street greeting you in Ancien Français.

Speaking of foxes I actually saw one in real life for the first time ever this past week, in the inner city regions of my home town. Not around the shopping mall areas though, but anyways. It was pretty cool.

 

[Tarantula]

This is literally the first time in my life I've seen someone try to disparage Terry Fox.

Sacre Bleu!!! L' Tabernac!!!

 

[Tuna Tatarrrrrr]

Sacre Bleu!!! L' Tabernac!!!

TABARNAK! But nice try though.

By the way "Sacre Bleu" is not really QUÉBÉCOIS but more French from France.

 

[Theokritos]

@Claude Pepe Lemieux
I'm asking for the second time now (and FerrisRox has asked to), is there any evidence at all for your claim that "in the Province of Quebec he was transported by motor vehicle through vast stretches of that portion of his run" ?

You did say there was ample evidence for your claim, I couldn't find even a mention of it when I looked online for a bit yesterday...can you provide any at all?

You're addressing the wrong poster.

 

[Theokritos]

The answer is Wayne Gretzky. What Fox did is admirable but his accomplishments are somewhat exaggerated. People conveniently ignore the fact that ample evidence indicates that when fundraising was going poorly in the Province of Quebec he was transported by motor vehicle through vast stretches of that portion of his "run".

Please cite a source if you're going to make that claim.

The request by Johnny Engine still remains to be answered.

 

[Nino33]

Thanks for clarifying my error Theokritos

 

[sr edler]

We'll see if Mr. Wood can get back to us and present any viable evidence of the claim, unless he’s too busy making low-budget horror/comedy films.

 

[Johnny Engine]

We'll see if Mr. Wood can get back to us and present any viable evidence of the claim, unless he’s too busy making low-budget horror/comedy films.

Maybe this WAS the low-budget horror comedy.

 

[Allan92]

it is mindboggling to me that there are canadians who don't know who terry fox is. i get that he wouldn't be famous internationally but for canadians...

Did you see that video of nhl players trying (and mostly failing) to name the four beatles?

People not knowing obvious things will never surprise me again

 

[FerrisRox]

@Claude Pepe Lemieux
I'm asking for the second time now (and FerrisRox has asked to), is there any evidence at all for your claim that "in the Province of Quebec he was transported by motor vehicle through vast stretches of that portion of his run" ?

You did say there was ample evidence for your claim, I couldn't find even a mention of it when I looked online for a bit yesterday...can you provide any at all?

It was Ed Wood that made that claim, not Claude Pepe Lemieux

 

[solidmotion]

Did you see that video of nhl players trying (and mostly failing) to name the four beatles?

People not knowing obvious things will never surprise me again

missed that one, but you've just reminded me of this gem that i can't bear to watch more than 10 seconds of:

 

[Nino33]

It was Ed Wood that made that claim, not Claude Pepe Lemieux

Yep, already corrected (I got confused as CPL responded to the request for a supportive link).

 

[shello]

I guess Terry Fox is "bigger" internationally, because of the Terry Fox run being a big international event. What he represents is also obviously far more important.

Born and raised in Canada here and have been living the past 3 years in the states and no one I've ever met here know of Terry Fox which of course is unfortunate

 

[psycat]

For Europeans this question is easy. A guy hardly anybody, rightfully or not, know about or one that just about everyone instantly associate with hockey and hence Canada. Should end the dicussion.

 

[Nino33]

The Terry Fox Run has been going on for 37 years now, and is held yearly in many cities on 5 continents (North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa) Terry Fox Run - Wikipedia

I look at the list of cities that the run is held in and it's certainly a wide variety Find an International Run

Millions of Canadian kids still participate in the Terry Fox Run every year Terry Fox School Run
I totally accept that it's not every Canadian kid (I never thought it was myself; doesn't surprise me at all that it seems less known in Quebec). I grew up with the story, and I worked in the school system 2009-2016 and it was held every year (I grew up in BC and have always lived in BC or Alberta).

For a "Canadian icon" I myself ultimately think of people like Tommy Douglas (health care) and Terry Fox (fighting cancer) as more iconic than a hockey player. I hadn't thought about this comparison before seeing this thread...for me as great as he was Gretzky's ultimately just a hockey player. For me I guess it's the difference between "what I might think of first" (popular) and what's "representative"(iconic).



I'm really not sure whether Gretzky or Terry Fox would be more well known worldwide

I can see why anyone who follows hockey in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia likely would say Gretzky over Terry Fox (and they may not know who Terry Fox is).

 

[rfournier103]

The only reason I know who Terry Fox is is because of a movie from the early ‘80s. I was very young when I saw it and typically didn’t care for human interest stories, but I found it compelling.

At present, I’m on a jobsite in Massachusetts with roughly 500 workers. I’d wager that MAYBE a dozen have ANY idea who Terry Fox was. I’ll also bet that maybe a dozen don’t know Wayne Gretzky is.

As awesome as Gretzky is, I find Terry Fox’s story more and more compelling as time goes by. I think it’s a shame he’s not better remembered.