Can you identify these famous Canadians of colour?

With race in the news more than ever recently, a Historica Canada survey found most Canadians have a lot to learn about the people of colour who have helped shape this nation.

Only 16 per cent of 1,000 respondents were able to pass the quiz, which featured facts about the contributions of prominent Canadians ranging from Olympic athletes to scientists.

The poll found survey participants generally knew the least about figures from Indigenous or other racialized backgrounds, with the exception of civil rights crusader Viola Desmond, the face of the new $10 bill.

Few knew that Chief Dan George was the first Indigenous actor to be nominated for an Academy Award, for instance.

We erred on the easy side with photos of six prominent Canadians of colour and hit the street to find out how many people could recognize.

How many do you know?

Interestingly, while the ability to identify our list of celebrities varied widely, not a single respondent noticed that they were all people of colour. Maybe that is a sign of progress – we hope.

– with files from The Canadian Press