Humanitarians
- Barry, J. Esmonde (1923–2007) – healthcare activist and political commentator in New Brunswick
- Belaney, Archibald Stanfield (1888–1938) – (known as Grey Owl) conservationist who falsely presented himself as an Aboriginal person and worked to save the beavers of Saskatchewan and Manitoba
- Bethune, Norman
- Bucke, Richard Maurice (1837–1902) – psychiatrist, philosopher, early author on human development and human potentials
- Fonyo, Steve (born 1966) – retraced and completed Terry Fox's cross country cancer research fundraising marathon
- Fox, Terry (1958–1981) – attempted one-legged cross country run for cancer research
- Hansen, Rick (born 1957) – paraplegic athlete who completed an around the world marathon for spinal cord injury research
- Lewis, Stephen (born 1937) – AIDS activist, United Nations special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa
- Rogers, Harold (1899–1994) – founder of Kin Canada
- Vanier, Jean (born 1928) – activist for mentally disabled, founder of L'Arche
- Arbour, Louise (born 1947) – former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a former justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and a former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
Read more about this topic: List Of Canadians