#1Writing & Arts
Patrick deWitt
born 1975Canadian novelist and screenwriter
14 Wikipedia and sister-site articlesWikipedia ↗
Famous people · Sidney, British Columbia
6 famous people come from Sidney, Patrick deWitt the best known
The best known is the Canadian novelist and screenwriter Patrick deWitt, with articles in 14 languages. The next two names are Jo Manning and Alexander McDonald. The largest group, 3, was born between 1914 and 1945. The list runs from Alexander McDonald, born in 1876, to Patrick deWitt, born in 1975.
Born here
6
confirmed by Wikipedia
Best known
Patrick deWitt
14 Wikipedia and sister-site articles
First
1876
Alexander McDonald
Youngest
1975
Patrick deWitt
Most common field
Writing & Arts
2 people
The best known
Born in Sidney
Two of the three are writers and artists.
#1
#2AM#3
Politics & Law
Alexander McDonald
1876–1945Canadian politician
2 Wikipedia and sister-site articlesWikipedia ↗
Through the years
When Sidney’s famous people were born
The 1940s alone account for 2 of the births charted here.
Writing & ArtsScience & MedicinePolitics & LawNotable
Dots are people, stacked in the decade of their birth.
Known for
What Sidney is known for
The usual town is the share across everyone listed in Canadian towns. Tap a field to see its people.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Sidney
No one matches both filters.
Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
Of the towns nearby, Central Saanich lists the most people: 5.
Questions about famous people from Sidney
Who is the most famous person from Sidney?
By our measure the best known is Patrick deWitt (Canadian novelist and screenwriter); the spotlight above gives the details. Next come Jo Manning and Alexander McDonald.
How many famous people were born in Sidney?
10 are placed here on Wikidata; the rest have no article to confirm it.
What is Sidney known for?
33% of the list, where Canadian towns come to 12%.
Who is the earliest-born famous person from Sidney?
Alexander McDonald, born in 1876. The youngest on the list was born in 1975.
Who counts as from Sidney?
Born inside Sidney’s municipal boundary (Statistics Canada’s 2021 census subdivision) on Wikidata’s record, with an English or French Wikipedia article to back it up: that is the test, hospitals and districts within the outline included. Someone who just lived here does not pass it, and adult performers and people known mainly for crimes are excluded.
Why is someone missing?
Wikidata may give their birthplace only as Canada or a province, as a rural area or hamlet without a page here, or as another town; or their article may name a different place, or none. Only people both sources agree on are listed, and a fix on Wikidata or Wikipedia shows up here at the next refresh.
Birthplaces, descriptions, years, occupations and the count of Wikipedia and sister-site articles come from Wikidata (CC0). Each birthplace is checked against the person’s English Wikipedia article, or the French one where English says nothing or has no article; the articles are linked, never quoted. Wikidata’s Statistics Canada code, the place’s name or its point inside the 2021 census outline puts a birth in a town, and a birth given only as a split city stays on that city’s page. Fields are read from the description and occupations, and the list runs by number of articles. “The usual town” is everyone listed across Canadian towns. Portraits: each person’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- Patrick deWitt: librairie mollat, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jo Manning: Donald Gordon Fraser (1921-2003), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Frances Oldham Kelsey: The photographer is unknown., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Loisette M. Marsh: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Kady Dandeneau: Hawkeye7, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).