Browse "People"

Norbert Kraft, classical guitarist (b at Linz, Austria 21 Aug 1950). He was brought to Canada in 1954 and took up classical guitar relatively late, at age 17, but has gone on to establish himself as one of the world's finest guitarists.

Norbert Kraft. Guitarist, teacher, producer, b Linz, Austria, 21 Aug 1950, naturalized Canadian 1954.

Norbert Schoenauer, educator, architect, housing reformer (b at Regen, Romania 2 Jan 1923; d at Montréal 7 Aug 2001). Schoenauer devoted his career to the understanding and improvement of housing design.

Norbert Vesak, choreographer (b at Port Moody, BC 22 Oct 1936; d at Charlotte, North Carolina 1990).

Albert Norman Benedict Amadio, pianist (born 14 April 1928 in Timmins, ON; died 22 January 2020). Norm Amadio was a prominent figure in Toronto’s jazz scene for more than 60 years. Journalist Peter Goddard called him “unquestionably the finest accompanist in Canadian jazz history.” He was also a member of many studio orchestras and a music director for the CBC for many years. He received a lifetime achievement award from the Toronto Musicians’ Association in 2016.

Norman Gene Macdonald, standup comedian, actor, writer, producer (born 17 October 1963 in Quebec City, QC; died 14 September 2021). Norm Macdonald was known for his irreverent humor and low-key delivery, and particularly for his work on NBC’s Saturday Night Live (SNL).

Norma (Kathleen) Abernethy. Pianist, teacher, b Vancouver 11 Jun 1914, d there 26 Apr 1973; LRSM 1931, ATCM 1933.

Norma Beecroft, composer, broadcaster (b at Oshawa, Ont 11 Apr 1934). Studying composition first in Toronto with John WEINZWEIG, and then in the US and Europe, Beecroft has worked in a number of mediums. She was one of Canada's most active early practitioners of electroacoustic music.

Norma (Marian) Beecroft. Composer, producer, broadcaster, administrator, b Oshawa, Ont, 11 Apr 1934; honorary D LITT (York) 1996. Her father, Julian Balfour Beecroft, was a musician, an inventor, and a pioneer in the development of electronic tape.

Norma Ford Walker (née Ford), human geneticist (born 3 September 1893 in St. Thomas, ON; died 9 August 1968 in Toronto, ON). Ford Walker completed a PhD in zoology in 1923 at the University of Toronto, and as a faculty member became interested in human genetics. She established her reputation as an authority on multiple births with her research on the Dionne quintuplets. Her publications in genetics contributed to knowledge of a number of childhood genetic conditions and to the application of dermatoglyphics to clinical diagnosis. Through her work and that of her graduate students, who included the first appointees in human genetics at several Canadian universities, Ford Walker had a lasting influence on the national development of human genetics in medicine and as an academic discipline.

Norma Lee Bisha was principal viola 1956-66 in the CBC Halifax Orchestra, a member of the Canadian Viola Society, and taught at Brandon University 1966-8 and at the University of Saskatchewan in 1970. She was second violin, then viola, of the Amati String Quartet. Her pupils included Neal Gripp.

Norma Shearer, actor (born 11 August 1902 in Montréal, QC; died 12 June 1983 in Los Angeles, California).

Norman Antony Onley, "Toni," painter (b at Douglas, Isle of Man, UK 20 Nov 1928; d near Maple Ridge, BC, 29 Feb 2004). Onley received his early art training in Douglas on the Isle of Man, and also became an apprentice to a local architect.

Henry Norman Bethune, surgeon, inventor, political activist (born 4 March 1890 in Gravenhurst, ON; died 12 November 1939 in Huang Shiko, China). Norman Bethune was an innovative thoracic surgeon who made significant contributions in the field, including the invention or redesign of surgical instruments. He was also an early advocate of universal health care in Canada. A member of the Communist Party, Bethune volunteered during the Spanish Civil War, where he pioneered the mobile blood transfusion unit. In 1938, he travelled to China, where he became a battlefield surgeon for Chinese Communist forces under Mao Zedong. Bethune’s commitment to the welfare of soldiers and civilians during the Sino-Japanese War made him a hero in the People's Republic of China.

The following article is an editorial written by The Canadian Encyclopedia staff. Editorials are not usually updated.