WHO WAS THE GREATER CANADIAN?

Who is Better?
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

23%

38%

30%

Who is Better?

7%

23%

30%

7%

38%

The class took a survey of the class regarding Who is the

greater Canadian? and this was the information that was
gathered from the class survey.

Who Is the Greater

Canadian?

BERTHA WILSON
VS
NEIL YOUNG

By: Catherine
McGrath, JJ
OSullivan, and
Dominic Coutu

Have you heard about them before?

80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

Have you heard of

both?

Only Neil

Only Bertha

Both

The class took a survey with the question asking Have you ever heard
about Neil or Bertha before? and this was the information that was
gathered from the classes survey.

Do you know why these

people are influential?
50%
40%
30%
20%

Importance

10%
0%

The class took a survey regarding the importance of these Canadians and this
was the information that was gathered from the classes survey.

Background
Bertha Wilson

Neil Young

Born:
Born: September18,
September18, 1923
1923 in
in Kirkcaldy,
Kirkcaldy,
Scotland,
United
Kingdom
Scotland, United Kingdom
Died:
Died: April
April 28,
28, 2007,
2007, Ottawa,
Ottawa, Ontario
Ontario

Born: November 12, 1945 in

Toronto, Ontario
Currently still living at the age of
70 years old

Emigrated to Canada in 1949 and

settled in Renfrew, Ontario.

In Junior High School he formed

is very first band, The Jades
which became the start of his
career of being a Musician.

Spouse: Presbyterian Minister John

Wilson.
Wilson.
He was an United Church Minister
Married in 1945

Spouse: Pegi Young

She was an American singersongwriter, environmentalist,
educator and philanthropist.

University
University of
of Aberdeen
Aberdeen
(Master
of
Arts
Degree
(Master of Arts Degree in
in Philosophy)
Philosophy)
Dalhousie
University
(Bachelor
Dalhousie University (Bachelor of
of Laws)
Laws)
Schulich School
School Of
Of Law
Law
Schulich

Occupation: Environmental
Activist, Engineer, Guitarist,
Songwriter, Singer, and
philanthropist.

What are they know for?

First Women to be appointed to the Supreme

Court of Canada.
She was appointed to the Ontario Court of
Appeal in December 1975 and captured public
attention by her imaginative and humane
decisions in cases involving human rights,
ethnic and sex discrimination, matrimonial
property, child custody and the access of
citizens to information about themselves
collected by government and police.
In 1982, after intense feminist pressure to
name a woman to the Supreme Court, Wilson
was appointed.
She participated in several Supreme Court
decisions, one of the most momentous of which
is probably striking down
Canadian abortion law in early 1988.

Neil Young is one of the most respected and

prolific rock/folk guitarists of the late 20th
century.
He first became well-known as a guitarist and
occasional vocalist for the band Buffalo
Springfield. After the band broke up he became
a solo performer. He has also spent more than
30 years performing with groups called Crosby
Stills Nash and Young and Crazy Horse.
In 1986 he helped found The Bridge School, an
educational organization for children with
severe verbal and physical disabilities.
Young is an outspoken advocate for
environmental issues and the welfare of small
farmers, having co-founded in 1985 the benefit
concert Farm Aid.

Accomplishments
for their success
The Schulich School of Law established the Bertha
Wilson Honor Society award in 2012 in tribute to The
Honorable Madam Justice Bertha Wilson as the first
woman appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal and the
first female Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.

Bertha Wilson

Canadian Music Hall of Fame, 1982

He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame twice. First in 1995 for his solo work, with an
induction speech given by Eddie Vedder, and again in
1997 as a member of Buffalo Springfield.
Received honorary doctorates (Music from Lakehead
University in Thunder bay, Ontario (1992), Humane
Letters from San Francisco State University (2006).
In 2006, was given Manitoba's highest civilian honor,
when he was appointed to the Order of Manitoba. In
2009, he was then given Canada's highest civilian
honor, when he was appointed to the Order of Canada.
Co-founded in 1985 of the benefit concert Farm Aid
Helped found The Bridge School, an educational
organization for children with severe verbal and
physical disabilities.
In 2001, was awarded the Spirit of Liberty award from
the civil liberties group People for the American Way.
Was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year on
January 29, 2010.
Nominated for two Grammy Awards; 2010
In 2010, Young was ranked #26 in Gibson.coms Top
50 Guitarists of All Time.

Neil Young

What determines success to you?

60%
50%
40%
Percentage of People
30%
20%
10%
0%
Wealth

Influence

Fame

Service

Happiness

Conclusion
First Woman
to be
Supreme
Court Judge

Inspiration
to all
Oppressed
Woman

Bertha
Wilson

Striking
down the
Canadian
Abortion
Laws

Co-Founder of
The Bridge
School and
concert farm
aid

Meaning to
his music

Who is the
greater
Canadian?

Neil
Young

Most
influential
musicians of
his generation

Synopsis:
Personally, I think the both Neil Young and
Bertha Wilson made great contributions to
Canada in the past in different ways to make
them known. Neil made most of his great
contributions within the music industry and
Bertha made most of hers within Canadas
Laws. In this case, comparing the two of them
is like comparing an apple to an orange,
which doesnt make any sense, I would like
make a remark that they are both great
Canadians that contributed immensely in
their own profession and passion. Although,
based on the survey we have conducted in our
classroom two weeks ago suggested the
success was determined by following facts
;Wealth, Influence, Fame, Service and
Happiness, Neil Young was successfully the
greater Canadian out of the two.

Sources
Loyalist College Library
Database:
Canadian Points of View Reference
Centre
David Suzuki launches speaking tour,
with help from Feist, Neil Young
(c) 2014, The Canadian Press.