With high educational standards and excellent technical training programs, Canada is a popular source of skilled workers around the world. Almost everywhere you go, you’ll find Canadians working abroad in a variety of fields, from engineering and medical professionals to actors, artists, and musicians. In fact, it was estimated in 2014 that the total number of Canadians working (or studying) abroad amounted to almost 3 million people. With so many citizens finding employment abroad, it’s not hard to find stories of people who have achieved incredible success. Here are three notable people who made a name for themselves working outside of Canada.
mark henry roswell
Mark Henry Roswell is one of Canada’s most popular television personalities. This may seem strange as very few in the western world have heard of it. However, in China, where Mr. Roswell goes by the name Dashan (meaning ‘great mountain’), he is an actor, comedian, game show host and television personality of considerable fame. Dashan studied Mandarin at the University of Toronto and upon graduation received a full scholarship to Peking University to continue his language studies. His ability to speak fluent Mandarin and the diction of a native speaker led him to organize an international singing competition on Chinese television in the late 1980s. Since then, he has become a star in China, appearing on numerous movies and TV shows.
Andrew BonarLaw
The story of Andrew Bonar Law takes us back to the early 20th century, when Law, born in New Brunswick, rose to the pinnacle of political power, not in Canada, but in the seat of colonial power: London. As a teenager, Law moved to Scotland to live with relatives. He left school at a young age to work in the iron industry, where he rose through the ranks and became a wealthy man in his early 20s. He entered politics in 1900 and eventually became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the only one in history to be born outside the British Isles. Sadly, his time at the top of it was short-lived, as poor health forced him to retire after just 211 days in charge. He resigned in May 1923 and succumbed to his illness that same year.
Jim Carrey
The latest on our list of Canadians working abroad is a name everyone will recognize. James Eugene Carrey was born in Newmarket, Ontario, in 1962. When he was a teenager, his father would take him to Toronto, where he was making a name for himself performing in comedy clubs. At one of these shows, he was discovered by legendary comedian Rodney Dangerfield, who hired Carrey as his opening act for a season in Las Vegas. From there, he went to Hollywood, where he was a cast member on “In Living Color” before starring in “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.” He has starred in a long string of blockbuster comedies ever since.
Canadians working abroad have found great success in the countries in which they live and work. For a country with a relatively small population, its people have had a considerable impact on the rest of the world.