Stu & Bret Hart

Stu: Born May 3, 1915, in Saskatoon; died Oct. 16, 2003 Bret: Born July 2, 1957, in Calgary

Occupation: Wrestling empire Contribution: Former Edmonton Eskimos football player Stu Hart put Calgary on the map by creating Stampede Wrestling in 1948. It was a western Canadian institution for decades; the TV show aired in 30-plus countries. Stampede Wrestling started the careers of grapplers including Stu’s sons Owen and Bret (The Hitman) Hart, who moved to the World Wrestling Federation in 1984 and became one of the most famous wrestlers of all time. As WWF World Heavyweight Champion, one magazine declared him “the most famous Albertan in the world.” Stu Hart did much work for charities, including the United Way, Salvation Army and Children’s Hospital. Some of Bret’s most important work focuses on prostate cancer awareness, a disease he battled himself.

Quote: “(He) embodied the best of the Alberta spirit,” former premier Ralph Klein said of Stu.