List of people from Peterborough, Ontario

Peterborough and its surrounding area is and has been home to many notable people, especially considering its relatively small size. It has been especially prolific in producing players for the NHL through the Peterborough Petes. It also has produced a number of musicians, actors and authors.

Actors

• Matt Frewer, aka 1980s icon "Max Headroom"
• Barclay Hope, actor
• William Hope, actor
• David Kaye, voice actor
• Estella Warren, former synchronized swimmer; model and actress
• Ben Hollingsworth, actor

Athletes

• Les Ascott, (d. 2013) former CFL player with the Toronto Argonauts
• Zac Bierk, former professional hockey player and brother of Sebastian Bach
• Scotty Bowman, former hockey coach, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens
• Steve Chiasson, (1967–1999) National Hockey League player
• Mike Fisher, NHL player with the Nashville Predators; husband of Carrie Underwood
• Bob Gainey, former NHL player and now General Manager with the Montreal Canadiens
• Rex Harrington, ballet dancer
• Mike Keenan, former NHL coach with the Calgary Flames
• Steve Larmer, former NHL player with the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers
• Rick McCrank, professional skateboarder
• Greg Millen, hockey analyst, goaltender for the NHL
• Roger Neilson, (1934–2003) innovative NHL coach who spent ten years coaching the Peterborough Petes
• Corey Perry, NHL player with the Anaheim Ducks
• Robert Roode, professional wrestler working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
• Marc Savard, professional hockey player
• Cory Stillman, NHL player with the Florida Panthers
• Jesse Young, professional basketball player with MMT Estudiantes in the Spanish Liga ACB

Musicians

• Jason Dunn, lead singer of the band Hawk Nelson
• Rick Fines, one of Canada's leading blues, roots music and slide guitarists; blues historian
• Adam Gontier, singer, songwriter and guitarist of Three Days Grace
• Emily Haines, musician, lead singer of Metric
• Ronnie Hawkins, rock musician, currently resides in Lakefield (Peterborough County)
• Ramin Karimloo, singer, songwriter, West End/Broadway performer
• Trevor McNevan, lead singer of rock band Thousand Foot Krutch
• Serena Ryder, singer and songwriter
• Neil Sanderson, drummer of Three Days Grace
• Christian Tanna, brother of Jagori Tanna; co-founder of the band I Mother Earth
• Jagori Tanna, brother of Christian Tanna; co-founder of the band I Mother Earth
• Sam and Ryan Weber, aka the Weber Brothers; singers, songwriters, musicians
• Greg Wells, songwriter and record producer
• Rob Wells, songwriter and record producer
• Royal Wood, singer, songwriter

Politicians

• George Albertus Cox, (1840–1914), former mayor, Canadian Senator
• Gerard Kennedy, 2006 Liberal leadership candidate, studied at Trent University
• Lester B. Pearson, former Prime Minister of Canada

Religion

• Alden John Bell, Roman Catholic bishop

Writers

• Dave Carley, playwright
• Robertson Davies, (1913–1995), novelist, playwright, critic, journalist and professor
• Stephen G. Gilbert, tattoo historian and author of The Tattoo History Source Book
• Hugh Kenner, scholar of modernist literature
• Yann Martel, winner of the Booker Prize, studied philosophy at Peterborough's Trent University
• Paul Nicholas Mason, author of Battered Soles, The Red Dress and The Discipline Committee
• Derek McCormack, writer
• Leah McLaren, journalist, author
• Susanna Moodie, 19th-century author
• Ian Rogers, horror writer
• Jesse Thomas, writer and musician
• Catherine Parr Traill, 19th-century author
• Peter Wray, filmmaker, writer and marketing strategist

Other

• Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of Research In Motion
• Dr. Roberta Bondar, chancellor of Trent University; first Canadian woman in space
• Seán Cullen, comedian, radio personality
• Peter Demos, MIT physicist, former director of Bates Linear Accelerator
• Sandford Fleming, (1827–1915) engineer, inventor; invented Standard Time
• Jeffrey Karp, researcher in bioengineering
• Dr. Henry Rowe Hocking Kenner, B.A., LL.D. (1867–1944), educator and principal
• Trevor Kincaid, zoologist at the University of Washington
• John D. Lowry, film restoration expert
• Nader Nadernejad, producer and internet personality
• Dr. Michael Schweigert, founder of OMSOC
• Thomas Symons, founding President of Trent University
• Bassam Al-Sarraj, Founder of SwiftJet_Inc.