This is a list of notable Lebanese Canadians; individuals born in Canada of Lebanese ancestry, or people of Lebanese and Canadian dual nationality who live or lived in Canada.

Academics and scholars

* Henry Habib – political scientist *

Gad Saad Gad Saad (; ar, جاد سعد; born 13 October 1964) is a Canadian marketing professor at the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University. He is known for applying evolutionary psychology to marketing and consumer behaviour. He wrote ...

– evolutionary behavioral scientist *

Issam Saliba Issam Saliba, a Lebanese-Canadian surgeon based in Montreal, Canada, is an otolaryngologist who developed a faster and less expensive technique for treating ruptured eardrums. The technique can be performed in 20 minutes during a routine visi ...

– otolaryngologist *

Justine Sergent Justine Saade-Sergent (March 31, 1950– April 11, 1994) was a researcher in the cognitive neuroscience field. From 1979 to 1982, she was an associate professor of neurology and neurosurgery at the Montreal Neurological Institute at McGill Unive ...

– neuroscientist

Actors

Emeraude Toubia Emeraude Toubia (born March 1, 1989) is a Canadian-born American actress and model, who portrayed Isabelle Lightwood on the Freeform fantasy series ''Shadowhunters''. Of Mexican and Lebanese descent, she previously appeared on the Venevisión t ...

– actress * Garen Boyajian – actor *

Arsinée Khanjian Arsinée Khanjian (Western Armenian: Արսինէ Խանճեան, Eastern Armenian: Արսինե Խանջյան; born 6 September 1958) is an Armenian-Canadian actress and activist. She is widely known for her collaborations with her husband, fi ...

– actress; wife of film director

Atom Egoyan Atom Egoyan (; hy, Աթոմ Եղոյեան, translit=Atom Yeghoyan; born July 19, 1960) is a Canadian filmmaker. He was part of a loosely-affiliated group of filmmakers to emerge in the 1980s from Toronto known as the Toronto New Wave. Egoyan m ...

Keanu Reeves Keanu Charles Reeves ( ; born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor. Born in Beirut and raised in Toronto, Reeves began acting in theatre productions and in television films before making his feature film debut in '' Youngblood'' (1986). ...

– actor *

Sandra Shamas Sandra Shamas (born 1957) is a Canadian puppeteer, comedic actress, writer, director and producer. Biography Shamas was born in Sudbury, Ontario. She moved to Toronto in 1980, where she held a variety of jobs before a workshop at The Second City i ...

– actress and writer *

Jade Hassouné Jade Hassouné (born 18 February 1991) is a Lebanese-Canadian actor, dancer and singer. He is known for his roles as Meliorn in the US television series ''Shadowhunters'' and as Prince Ahmed Al Saeed in the Canadian series ''Heartland''. Under t ...

– actor * Ty Wood – actor * Lee Majdoub - actor

Athletes

Fouad Abiad Fouad "Hoss" Abiad (born 15 October 1978) is a retired Canadian IFBB professional bodybuilder Professional bodybuilding or pro bodybuilding can refer to bodybuilding for an income and/or possessing qualifications such as an IFBB or Wabba Intern ...

– former IFBB professional bodybuilder *

David Azzi David Azzi (born January 25, 1981 in Lebanon) is a former professional wide receiver and slotback in the Canadian Football League (CFL). College career In 1999 Azzi was named 1st Team All-Canadian, 1st Team All-Academic and earned a full schol ...

– former professional football player *

Jo-Anne Beaumier Jo-Anne Claude Beaumier ( ar, جو ان كلود بومييه; born 10 April 1996) is a footballer who plays as a defender for Canadian club Révolution FC. Beaumier was born in Canada to a Canadian father and a Lebanese mother. She obtained ...

– international soccer player *

Gabriel Bitar Gabriel Walid Bitar (; born August 23, 1998) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or forward for Canadian club Vancouver FC. Born in Canada, he plays for the Lebanon national team. Early life Bitar began playing soccer with t ...

– professional soccer player * Ali Haidar – college basketball player (

Michigan Tech Huskies Michigan Technological University's sports teams are called the Huskies. The Huskies participate in NCAA Division II as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), a member of the Central Collegiate Ski Association f ...

) * John Hanna – former professional hockey player * Ed Hatoum – former professional hockey player ( Vancouver Canucks) *

Fabian Joseph Fabian Gerard Joseph (born December 5, 1965) is a Canadian retired ice hockey centre. He is most prominent for his role with the Canadian national ice hockey team in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is a winner of two Winter Olympic Sil ...

– former professional hockey player (

Canada men's national ice hockey team The Canada men's national ice hockey team (popularly known as Team Canada; french: Équipe Canada) is the ice hockey team representing Canada inter ...

) * Nazem Kadri – professional hockey player ( Calgary Flames) *

Ali Kanaan Ali Kanaan (born 12 December 1985 in Beirut, Lebanon) is a Lebanese Canadian basketball player currently playing for Byblos and the Lebanon national basketball team. Early life and education Born to Anis Kanaan and Amira El-Fares of Beirut, ...

– basketball player and member of Lebanon's national basketball team * David Lemieux – professional boxer *

Ali Mahmoud Ali Mahmoud ( ar, علي محمود) is Lebanese-Canadian basketball player. Career Mahmoud was born on May 28, 1983, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, to Toufic and Gina Mahmoud, who had immigrated to Canada. He played with St. Patrick's High Scho ...

– basketball player and member of Lebanon's national basketball team * John Makdessi – professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter *

Tony Mikhael Anthony Elias Camille Mikhael ( ar, انطوني إلياس كميل مخائيل; born 1 March 2000) is a professional footballer who plays as an defender. A versatile defender, Mikhael can play as both a centre-back and a full-back. Born in ...

– professional soccer player * Alain Nasreddine – former professional ice hockey player * Jean Sayegh – water polo player *

Omar El Turk Omar El Turk (in Arabic عمر الترك) (born September 30, 1981 in Beirut, Lebanon) is a retired Lebanese Canadian basketball player and member of the Lebanon national basketball team. Immigrating to Canada, he played with Montreal, Qu ...

– basketball player and member of Lebanon's national basketball team

Business

Jeff Hammoud Jeff Hammoud is a Canadian designer of Lebanese descent. Currently Chief Design Officer at Rivian. A native of Guelph, Ontario, Jeff earned a degree in Transportation Design in Detroit from the College for Creative Studies in 2004 and an MBA from ...

– car designer *

Charles Khabouth Bechara "Charles" Khabouth is a Lebanese Canadian nightclub owner, restaurateur, music promoter, and hotelier. Controlling several Toronto-based hospitality properties and venues, he's been dubbed the "King of Clubs" due to his influence on the ...

– hospitality entrepreneur; founder and CEO of INK Entertainment * Assad Kotaite (1924–2014) – former Secretary-General and Council President of the International Civil Aviation Organization from 1976 to 2006 * Kevin O'Leary – entrepreneur and reality television personality ('' Dragons' Den'', ''

Shark Tank ''Shark Tank'' is an American business reality television series that premiered on August 9, 2009, on ABC.Hibberd, James (May 10, 201'Dancing,' 'Bachelor,' and a bigger 'Shark Tank' returning to ABCInsider TV. Retrieved June 24, 2012 The show i ...

'') * Ablan Leon – founder of Leon's furniture company in 1901 in Welland, Ontario.

Entertainment

Marc Karam Marc Karam (born August 28, 1980) is a Canadian professional poker player. In addition to playing in major international poker tournaments, he plays online poker. Poker career Late in the year 2001, Karam began playing micro-stakes home games a ...

– professional poker player *

Nick Eh 30 Nicholas Amyoony (born March 14, 1995), better known online as Nick Eh 30, is a Canadian online streamer, YouTuber and Gamer, professional gamer. Amyoony began making gaming videos as a student at Dalhousie University, and later dropped out to ...

– gaming YouTuber and streamer

Film and television

Amber Fares Amber Fares is a Lebanese Canadian filmmaker, documentarian, director and cinematographer. She co-founded SocDoc Studios. She is based in Brooklyn and State of Palestine, Palestine. Biography Born in Canada with Lebanese roots, Fares began her s ...

– filmmaker, documentarian, director *

Donald Shebib Donald Everett "Don" Shebib (born 27 January 1938) is a Canadian film director. Shebib is a central figure in the development of English Canadian cinema who made several short documentaries for the National Film Board of Canada and CBC Televisi ...

– fiction and documentary film and television director, editor, and screenwriter *

Ziad Touma Ziad Touma is a Lebanese Canadian film director, producer and screenwriter born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1974 and residing in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is the founder of the film, television and digital media production company Couzin Films . ...

– film director, producer, and screenwriter

Musicians

* Paul Anka – singer and composer * Steve Barakatt – composer and pianist * Isabel Bayrakdarian – soprano of Lebanese Armenian origin * Norman Brooks – singer *

Patrick Gemayel Chromeo is a Canadian electro-funk duo from Montreal, formed in 2002 by musicians David "Dave 1" Macklovitch and Patrick "P-Thugg" Gemayel. Their sound draws from blue-eyed soul, dance music, rock, synth-pop, disco and funk. , the band has re ...

, stage name "P-Thugg" – member of musical act

Chromeo Chromeo is a Canadian electro-funk duo from Montreal, formed in 2002 by musicians David "Dave 1" Macklovitch and Patrick "P-Thugg" Gemayel. Their sound draws from blue-eyed soul, dance music, rock, synth-pop, disco and funk. , the band has rele ...

K.Maro Cyril Kamar ( ar, سيريل قمر; born January 31, 1980, in Beirut), known by his stage name K.Maro (; sometimes stylized as K-Maro or K'Maro) is a Canadian pop singer-songwriter, producer and businessman of Lebanese origin. He sings in Frenc ...

– rapper *

Joyce El-Khoury Joyce El-Khoury is a Lebanese-Canadian opera singer performing with leading opera companies and symphony orchestras around the world. She is a soprano praised for her bel canto singing. Early life and education El-Khoury was born in Beirut, Le ...

– opera singer * Andy Kim – singer-songwriter *

Kristina Maria Kristina Maria Chalhoub (born 14 May 1989 in Ottawa, Ontario) is a Canadian pop singer-songwriter. Early life Kristina Maria Chalhoub was raised in Ottawa, Ontario. She joined her school's choir as a second-grader, and wrote her first song i ...

– singer *

Mark Masri Mark Masri (born 23 August 1973) is a Canadian singer, songwriter and producer. He is signed to EMI record label and has released five albums: ''Mark Masri'', ''La Voce'', ''Christmas Is...'', ''A Christmas Time with You'', and ''Intimo'', as we ...

– pop and religious singer * Massari – pop and hip-hop singer * Omar Mouallem – also known as A.O.K. (Assault Of Knowledge) – rapper *

Radwan Ghazi Moumneh Radwan Ghazi Moumneh is a Canadian recording engineer, producer, and musician. Moumneh's family fled the Lebanese Civil War for the Sultanate of Oman, where he grew up, moving to Montreal in 1993. Throughout the mid 1990s and early 2000s Moumneh ...

– guitarist/producer, Cursed, Jerusalem in My Heart * Julie Nesrallah – opera singer, radio broadcaster *

Tony Sal Wassim Joseph Slaiby (; born November 16, 1979), better known as Sal (usually stylized in all caps), is a Lebanese-Canadian music industry executive, talent manager, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is the co-founder and current CEO of XO Rec ...

– music manager * Noah "40" Shebib – producer, songwriter, and music executive * Karl Wolf – singer-songwriter and producer

Painters

Philip Aziz Philip J.A.F. Aziz (April 15, 1923 – September 13, 2009) was a Canadian artist. He lived in London, Ontario, and was of Lebanese Greek Orthodox Christian descent. He was recognized for his work in the technique of egg tempera-en-gesso panel, ...

– painter and artist *

Ayah Bdeir Ayah Bdeir ( ar, آية بدير; born 1982 in Montreal, Quebec) is an entrepreneur, inventor, and interactive artist. She is the founder and CEO of littleBits. She is also the co-founder of Daleel Thawra, a directory of protests, initiatives, ...

– interactive artist and engineer *

Jay Isaac Jay Isaac (born 1975) is a Canadian artist based in Rowley, New Brunswick, Canada. He is known primarily for his painting, but he has produced numerous projects within the social sphere. He was founder, editor, publisher, and designer of Hunter ...

– visual artist

Politicians

Federal

* Ziad Aboultaif – Federal MP, Conservative (2015– ) * Mark Assad – Federal MP, Liberal (1997–2004) and Quebec MNA, Liberal (1981–1988) *

Pierre de Bané Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

– Federal MP, Liberal (1968–1984) and Federal Senator, Liberal (1984–2013) *

Michael Basha Michael G. Basha (20 January 1896 – 26 November 1976) was a Canadian businessman, manufacturer, and Senator. Born in Baalbeck, Ottoman Empire, he was summoned to the Canadian Senate in 1951 and represented the senatorial division of West Coas ...

– Federal Senator, Liberal (1951–1976) *

Fonse Faour Alphonsus (Fonse) Faour (born November 16, 1951, in Corner Brook, Newfoundland) is a former Canadian politician. Faour represented the electoral district of Humber—St. George's—St. Barbe, which he won in a 1978 by-election following the resig ...

– Federal MP, NDP (1978–1980) and Provincial Newfoundland and Labrador NDP Leader (1980–1981) * Mac Harb – Federal MP, Liberal (1988–2003) and Federal Senator, Liberal (2006–2013) * Fayçal El-Khoury – Federal MP, Liberal (2015– ) *

Allan Koury Allan Koury (22 November 1930 – 5 September 2004) was a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 to 1993. He was proprietor of business Mercerie Allan for 55 years, and created the ''Societes d'initiatives et de développement d' ...

– Federal MP, Conservative (1988–1993) *

Maria Mourani Maria Mourani (born May 19, 1969) is a Canadian politician who was elected as a Member of Parliament in the federal riding of Ahuntsic in Canada. She was formerly a member of the Bloc Québécois before leaving the party over its support for the ...

– Federal MP, Bloc Quebecois (2003–2015) * Eva Nassif – Federal MP, Liberal (2015–2019) *

Alain Rayes Alain Rayes (born December 11, 1971) is a Canadian politician, who was elected to represent the riding of Richmond—Arthabaska in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2015 Canadian federal election, and reelected in the 2019 and 2021 electi ...

– Federal MP, Conservative (2015– ) and Mayor of Victoriaville, Quebec (2009–2015) * Marwan Tabbara – Federal MP, Liberal (2015–2021) *

Sam Wakim Arthur Samuel Wakim (13 February 1937 – 4 December 2022) was a Canadian lawyer and Progressive Conservative party member of the House of Commons of Canada. A member of the Queen's Counsel, he practised law in Toronto, Ontario. Born in Saint ...

– Federal MP, Conservative (1979–1980) * Paul Zed – Federal MP, Liberal (1993–1997, 2004–2008)

Provincial

* Patricia Arab – Nova Scotia MLA, Liberal (2013–present) * David Boushy – Ontario MPP, Conservative (1995–1999) * Zach Churchill – Nova Scotia MLA, Liberal (2010–present) * Lena Diab – Nova Scotia MLA, Liberal (2013–present) * Joe Ghiz – PEI MLA, Liberal; Premier of Prince Edward Island (1986–1993) * Robert Ghiz – PEI MLA, Liberal; Premier of Prince Edward Island (2007–2015) *

Lorraine Michael Lorraine Michael (born March 27, 1943) is a social-democratic Canadian politician from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. From May 2006 until March 2015, Michael was the leader of the Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party (NDP). She i ...

– Newfoundland and Labrador MLA, NDP (2006-Current) and Provincial Newfoundland and Labrador NDP Leader (2006–2015) *

Khalil Ramal Khalil Ramal (born ) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Ontario Liberal Party, Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2003 to 2011. Ramal ran unsuccessfully in the 2015 Canadian federal election, 2015 federal ...

– Ontario MPP, Liberal (2003–2011) *

Larry Shaben Lawrence "Larry" Ralph Shaben (March 20, 1935 – September 6, 2008) was a Canadian politician of Lebanese descent and the first Muslim Cabinet Minister in Canada. He was also one of the first Muslims to be elected to higher office in North ...

– Alberta MLA, Conservative (1975–1989)

Municipal

Walter Assef Walter Assef (May 31, 1913 – January 14, 1988) was a Canadian politician, and former Vaudevillian,Tronrud, Thorold J. & Nicholson, David (2005). Thunder Bay Quiz Book: 101 Fascinating Questions about our History''. Thunder Bay Historical Mus ...

– Mayor of Thunder Bay, Ontario (1973–1978, 1981–1985) *

Harout Chitilian Harout Chitilian (Armenian: Հարութ Շիթիլեան) (born in 1980 in Beirut, Lebanon) is a former city councillor from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, former chairman of the council, he held the position of vice president of the executive comm ...

– City councillor and former Chairman of the City Council of Montreal (2009– ) * Eddie Francis – Mayor of Windsor, Ontario (2003–2014) *

Marceil Saddy Marceil Saddy (died March 7, 1988) was a Canadian politician, who served as mayor of Sarnia, Ontario from 1980 until his death in 1988. Prior to becoming the city's mayor, he was a journalist and editor of the '' Sarnia Gazette''. Saddy was partic ...

– Mayor of

Sarnia, Ontario Sarnia is a city in Lambton County, Ontario, Canada. It had a 2021 population of 72,047, and is the largest city on Lake Huron. Sarnia is located on the eastern bank of the junction between the Upper and Lower Great Lakes where Lake Huron flo ...

(1980–1988)

Writers

* John Asfour – poet and writer *

Shaunt Basmajian Shaunt Basmajian (30 September 1950 – 25 January 1990) was a Canadian poet and author. He was a co-founder of Old Nun Publications and was a member of the Parliament Street Library poetry group. In 1986, he was attacked with a knife and robb ...

– poet *

Rawi Hage Rawi Hage (Arabic: راوي الحاج, romanized: Rāwī Ḥāj; born 1964) is a Lebanese-Canadian journalist, novelist, and photographer based in Canada. Writing Hage has published journalism and fiction in Canadian and American magazines, and ...

– writer *

Ann-Marie MacDonald Ann-Marie MacDonald (born October 29, 1958) is a Canadian playwright, author, actress, and broadcast host who lives in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. MacDonald is the daughter of a member of Canada's military; she was born at an air force base near ...

– author, actor, playwright *

Wajdi Mouawad Wajdi Mouawad, OC, (born 1968) is a Lebanese-Canadian writer, actor, and director. He is known in Canadian and French theatre for politically engaged works such as the acclaimed play ''Incendies'' (2003). His works often revolve around family t ...

– poet and writer *

Trish Salah Trish Salah is an Arab Canadian poet, activist, and academic. She is the author of the poetry collections, ''Wanting in Arabic'', published in 2002 by TSAR Publications and ''Lyric Sexology Vol. 1'', published by Roof Books in 2014. An expanded Can ...

– poet and sociologist

Others

* Fauzi Ayub (1966–2014) – influential member of Hezbollah *

Salah Bachir (, plural , romanized: or Old Arabic ͡sˤaˈloːh, ( or Old Arabic ͡sˤaˈloːtʰin construct state) ), also known as ( fa, نماز) and also spelled , are prayers performed by Muslims. Facing the , the direction of the Kaaba with ...

(born 1955) – Canadian philanthropist, patron of the arts, entrepreneur, magazine publisher and the President of Cineplex Media *

Doris Daou Doris Daou (born 1964) is a Lebanese-born astronomer from Canada who was formerly the Director for Education and Public Outreach of the NASA Lunar Science Institute and the Associate Director of the NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual ...

– Lebanese-born Canadian astronomer; one of NASA's leading experts in education and public outreach * Mohammed Hassan Dbouk – journalist and alleged member of Hezbollah *

Karim Habib Karim Antoine Habib (born 1970) is a Canadian automotive designer of Lebanese descent, currently Executive Vice President and Head of Kia global design for the Korean vehicle manufacturer Kia. He previously worked for BMW and Infiniti. He is flue ...

– automotive designer currently working for the BMW group *

– automotive designer currently working for Chrysler

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lebanese people in Canada Canada

Lebanese People The Lebanese people ( ar, الشعب اللبناني / ALA-LC: ', ) are the people inhabiting or originating from Lebanon. The term may also include those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains prior to the creation ...

* Lebanese