Canada: the land of the beautiful

Below is a list of 10 amazing people from across the country who help make Canada beautiful.

Rebecca Bollwitt - Vancouver, BC

Photo courtesy of  Nordica Photography

Also known as the brains behind miss604, Vancouver's own sweetheart has been known among locals as the go-to blog that caters specificallly towards the city's events. Bollwitt began her blog in 2004 and over the past few years, she has received accolades from magazines such as The Georgia Straight and The Westender for "Best Local Blog". In addition to serving as the co-founder of sixty4media, she has also raised over $20, 000 for charities from the local events that she organized including Blogathon and Twestival. 

Cory Monteith - Calgary, Alberta

Photo courtesy of Fanpop

Prior to becoming an actor, Monteith was marred by a troubled past with substance abuse. He eventually dropped out of school at the age of 16. With the guidance of a family member, Monteith rebuilt his life and eventually landed his famous role as Finn Hudson from Fox's hit tv series, Glee.  He dropped out of high school, but recently received his high school diploma from Victoria, BC. Outside of his TV role, he plays in an indie-rock band member called Bonnie Dune. Recently, he was featured in the "Straight But Not Narrow" campaign which advocates for gay youth and teens. 

Catriona Le May Doan - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Photo courtesy of Scope-Tech

Considered the fastest woman on ice, Catriona has broken 13 world records during her career as a speed skater. At the Negano Olympic Winter games in 1998, she finished first overall in the World Cup standings. Though Le May Doan has since retired, she was last seen lighting the Olympic cauldron at the 2010 Winter Olympics. In addition to being a world famous athlete, she is involved in charity associations including, The Saskatoon Foundation Catriona Le May Doan Endowment for Children and Youth. Currently, she has joined the CTV Olympic team for the London 2014 Summer Olympic Games.

Anna Paquin - Winnepeg, Manitoba

Photo courtesy of Newsgab

Known for her famous role as Sookie Stackhouse in HBO'S raunchy series True Blood, Anna Paquin has been in the spotlight ever since she became the second youngest person to win an Academy Award for her performance in the 1993 film, The Piano. Her groundbreaking performance in the film subsequently led to numerous film offers - all of which she declined. In 2000, she regained prominence in Hollywood for her role as Rogue in the X-Men movies. Young and talented, Paquin has received countless awards and nominations for her various roles.True Blood  has propelled her into international stardom and it will be interesting to see what she does in the near future. 

Lisa Ray - Toronto, Ontario

Photo courtesy of lisaraniray.com