Before we whip out our stretchy pants and gobble down some turkey, there’s one more thing to add to our gratitude list: the iconic Canadian celebrities and sports teams that fill our hearts with maple leaf pride. Whether it’s the charm of Ryan Reynolds or the on-court hustle of the Toronto Raptors, Canada isn’t short of national treasures to be thankful for.  

In the true Thanksgiving spirit, we surveyed 3,000 Canadians to reveal which homegrown celebrities and sports teams they’re feeling the most grateful for this holiday. From stars like Keanu Reeves and Shania Twain, to powerhouses like the Edmonton Oilers – fresh off their recent Stanley Cup Playoffs run – the results are definitely something to feast your eyes on.  

Here’s a taste of the results:  

• Stars: Keanu Reeves ranks 1^st as the celebrity Canadians are the most thankful for  

• Stars: Ryan Reynolds brings home 2^nd place, with Jim Carrey following in 3^rd place  

• Sports: The Toronto Raptors ranks 1^st as the sports team Canadians are the most grateful for 

• Sports: The Toronto Maple Leafs glide into 2^nd place, with the Toronto Blue Jays following in 3^rd place  

These are the celebrities Canadians are the most grateful for 

Keanu Reeves carves out the #1 spot as the celebrity Canadians are the most thankful for nationwide. Raised in Toronto and gracing our screens since the age of 9, he’s starred in over 80 films while building a true Canadian reputation – the embodiment of kindness and generosity. Beyond the silver screen, he’s quietly made a huge impact – establishing a fund for children’s cancer, gifting 7-figure Christmas bonuses to struggling Matrix set workers, and handing out Rolex watches to his stunt teams. Known for treating everyone around him with respect, Keanu Reeves rightfully earned the title of ‘Mr. Nice Guy’ in both Hollywood and Canada. No wonder the nation is grateful for him!  

British Columbia’s very own ‘rizz’ master, Ryan Reynolds, swoops into #2 spot with Canadians feeling thankful for this West Coast treasure. With over 67 movies under his belt – ‘Deadpool’, ‘The Proposal’, and ‘Green Lantern’ to name a few – he’s charmed his way into everyone’s hearts on and off the screen. However, it’s not just his wit and charm that has Canadians feeling grateful this Thanksgiving. His generosity has been shown through his countless charitable causes – such as $1M to Food Banks Canada. He’s even been awarded the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award in 2021 as a recognition to his philanthropic work and contributions to the culture life of Canada. Now that’s something to raise a toast to.  

‘Somebody stop me!’ Laughing his way into the #3 spot, Jim Carrey takes his place in the national rankings with a comedic legacy, leaving us all saying ‘alrighty then’! Starting his stand-up career in Toronto at 15, Jim Carrey quickly became famous for his rubber-face expressions and energetic slapstick humour. From ‘The Truman Show’ to ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ and ‘The Mask’, he’s left Canadians – and the rest of the world – chuckling for decades. You can find Canadians, or Newfoundlanders more specially, giving thanks to the man who never fails to make us laugh. 

Rounding out the top 5 national rankings, Edmonton’s very own Michael J. Fox lands in the #4 spot. With a longstanding career, he’s captured hearts worldwide through his film roles and advocacy for Parkinson’s research. Meanwhile, back in London, Ontario, Justin Bieber slides into the #5, proving that ‘Bieber Fever’ still runs strong across the country.  

Canada’s MVPs: Sports teams Canadians are grateful for 

Slam-dunking their way into #1 spot nationwide, the Toronto Raptors are the MVPs this Thanksgiving. As Canada’s only NBA team, they’ve built a massive, dedicated fan base – even cheered on by A-listers like Drake, The Weeknd, and Snoop Dogg. When they took home the 2019 NBA Championship, the city threw their biggest celebration in history – with 2 million people attending. The Raptors are truly the ‘toast of the court’ this Thanksgiving. 

Gliding into #2 spot, the Toronto Maple Leafs are skating into the grateful hearts of Canadians this Thanksgiving. Despite the Edmonton Oilers’ recent Stanley Cup Playoff run, it seems Canadians are showing more gratitude for the Leafs. As one of the oldest and most iconic franchises in the NHL, with 13 Stanley Cup championships under their belts (the #2 most in the league), they’ve earned their seat at the Thanksgiving table.  

Staying in the 6ix, the Toronto Blue Jays slide into third base as the most appreciated Canadian sports team this Thanksgiving. Just like the Raptors, they hold the honour of being Canada’s only MLB team, making them a true national treasure. They’ve knocked it out of the ballpark with two AL pennants and two World Series titles, cementing their place in MLB history. Whether it’s a grand slam or a diving catch, the Blue Jays continue to give Canadians something to cheer for each season.  

Rounding out the top five national rankings, the Montreal Canadiens take the #4 spot. With a record-setting 24 Stanley Cup championships, they stand as the most successful franchise in NHL history – a true reason for Canadians to be thankful for. Also skating into #5 spot, the Vancouver Canucks follow, capturing the hearts of fans with their grit and determination. With three Canadian NHL teams earning their spot in Canada’s top five gratitude list, it’s clear that hockey truly flows through the veins of the nation’s spirit.  

Conclusion 

As we gather to celebrate our loved ones and the essence of what makes Canada special this Thanksgiving, it’s clear that cultural icons like Keanu Reeves and powerhouse teams add a little extra flavour to what makes Canada special. These stars and sports teams remind us of the pride and gratitude that makes Canada what it is today.  

Methodology 

In September 2024, we surveyed 3,000 Canadian residents which Canadian celebrities and major sports teams they’re the most thankful for. The average age of respondents was 35 years old. The representative sample size comprised of 54.3% female, 43% male, 2.1% non-binary, and 0.5% transgender. 

Fair use

Feel free to use the data or visuals on this page for non-commercial purposes. Please be sure to include proper attribution linking back to this page to give credit to the authors.    

For any press questions, please contact rhiannon.odonohoe[at]casino.org 

According to the best bookies, Mike Tyson is underdog against 27-year-old influencer Jake Paul. However, the former heavyweight champion’s victory is such an attractive odds that a number of celebrities could be in the running.

Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul match in Las Vegas

A couple of weeks ago, the news broke that youtuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul would be taking on 58-year-old Mike Tyson in Las Vegas on July 21. It’s been 19 years since one of the greatest heavyweight champions of all time last stepped between the ropes in a professional setting, so it surprised many that he would take on such a fight at his age. Tyson is now retired from professional sport, currently running his own business and most recently becoming an ambassador of an online casino.

Tyson and Paul’s fight is of course a huge hype, with daily newspaper reports of celebrities and sports personalities giving their views on the fight.

The build-up is certainly very professional. Both athletes are posting a lot on their social media pages and there are a lot of press inquiries. The fight itself is very divisive by the way, with many fearing Tyson because of his age and others hoping for the end of the influencer’s career with a Tyson ear.

The details of the fight are still subject to change, but as far as we know it will be an exhibition bout, with 2-minute rounds and fighters wearing 16-ounce gloves. There will be no scorekeepers, but a winner will still be declared, as knockouts will not be prohibited.

Mike Tyson’s chance against Jake Paul

This fight will be a sporting event that almost everyone has an opinion on. NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, for example, doesn’t think it’s a fair move to take on young Jake Paul, as the basketball player thinks the age difference between the two is too big. Former coach Mike Tyson, on the other hand, said that Paul could take a very nasty beating if he takes a punch or two.

Betting on the Paul-Tyson fight is now open at the bookmakers. Bookmakers have picked 27-year-old Jake Paul as the favourite, with the YouTube influencer’s win paying average odds of 1.60, while a win for the veteran legend could be worth between 2.20 and 2.30 to punters.

Famous athletes who like to bet

The Tyson-Paul fight is of course a huge hype, with daily newspaper reports of celebrities and sports personalities giving their views on the fight. We can almost be sure that as the match date approaches, news will start to come in of celebrities and sportspeople placing big bets on the game.

This is not at all an unusual phenomenon, as we have seen examples of this in the recent past. Professional fighter Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather, for example, is a regular bettor on the biggest sporting events, and the millionaire boxer is not afraid to bet big. In 2005, for example, he bet $750,000 on his own victory against Oscar de La Hoya and won a handsome sum.

Mayweather’s favourite sport to bet on, however, is the NFL. The sports bettor also achieved the biggest loss of his career in American football when he bet $626 000 on the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.

Will famous poker stars bet on Tyson?

Mayweather is not the only one who can claim to be a big betting man. Dan Bilzerian, one of the world’s most famous poker players, often risks his money by placing bets on sporting events. Four years ago, for example, he lost nearly US$1 million betting on the returning Conor McGregor at UFC 246, but the Irish bad boy knocked out his opponent in just 40 seconds to win the fight.

One of the best poker players of all time, Phil Ivey also likes to bet big. In 2015, he bet big on the Seahawks Patriots to win the Super Bowl.

Also a world famous gambler, former legend Billy Baxter was not only inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, but also into the Sportsbook Hall of Fame. Baxter is a legendary name in the world of online gambling, having regularly won huge sums in sports betting for decades. The legendary Doyle Brunson also had a reputation as a big bettor, but several poker players have claimed that he took big losses on sports bets.

It’s safe to say that as the match date approaches, we’ll be getting news that the high rollers will start betting on the match. It will be interesting to see if the big betters place their bets on the young but semi-pro Jake Paul or the veteran but with an amazing career Mike Tyson.

Of course, for bets of hundreds of thousands of dollars, you also need to find the right offices. In addition to land-based arcades and betting shops, there are a growing number of online bookmakers where you can place huge bets.

In space, nebulae — giant clouds of gas and dust — linger in cold and monotony. Think of them as the quiet, sleepy towns of our Milky Way.

Now, imagine a newcomer, maybe a streaking comet or the shockwave from a distant supernova, racing through. Much like a revving motorcycle waking up an entire block, these disturbances trigger star formation as they stir everything up.

Within these now-active nebulae, particles collide and start to form clumps. As these clumps accumulate more material, they grow in mass. Thanks to their own gravity, they pull in even more gas and dust from the surrounding star-forming region. Over a million years (give or take), these clumps mature into dense bodies known as protostars.

With enough heat and pressure, our protostar’s heart ignites, starting nuclear fusion. Hydrogen gas atoms begin to fuse, creating helium and releasing an immense amount of energy.

At this point, however, the outward force of this fusion isn’t quite enough to counteract the inward pull of gravity. It’s like trying to start a fire with damp wood — there’s heat, but not quite the blaze we’re expecting … yet.

The Stellar Balancing Act

Over time, as the protostar draws in more material and heats up further, things reach a tipping point. When enough mass (think about 0.1 times the mass of our own sun) collapses into the protostar, it experiences a dramatic and fiery transformation.

Massive gas jets erupt, clearing away the remaining gas and dust. Eventually, the star reaches a stable state, where the energy it emits perfectly balances the gravitational pull it experiences. Congratulations, our star has now joined the ranks of main sequence stars!