Canada’s Walk of Fame celebrates 20 years

Old and new inductees to Canada’s Walk of Fame said they hope to inspire a new generation of Canadians as the organization celebrated its 20th anniversary on Saturday.

Nine influential Canadians were inducted into the Walk of Fame for excellence in their respective fields, including sports, music, science, film and television.

Olympic medallists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, movie star Seth Rogen and retired astronaut Chris Hadfield were among those who received a star on the Walk of Fame in Toronto’s entertainment district.

“I can’t believe this is real life. This is such a huge honour,” said Moir. “We can’t believe we have a Walk of Fame star, and we’re pretty excited about it.”

Virtue said she hopes her and Moir’s 21-year partnership on the ice has inspired a new generation of Canadian athletes.

“The thing with the Olympic movement and sport, in general, is that there’s always another story, another athlete coming that is even more inspiring and is giving more to the Canadian public,” said Virtue.

“We’re so lucky to be a part of something bigger.”

The evening began on the red carpet, where the new stars were unveiled. Rogen received a star along with his childhood best friend and writing partner Evan Goldberg. The pair grew up in Vancouver where they began writing movie scripts, including the comedy Superbad.

“I’d rather be receiving this honour alone, to be honest, and not be sharing the spotlight with Evan,” Rogen joked.

Goldberg and Rogen commented on their support for cannabis legalization in Canada, adding that other countries should follow suit.

“It’s good and we’re superpumped and it’s awesome that (Canada) is leading the charge,” said Goldberg.

This year’s inductees also include singer-songwriter Andy Kim, billionaire businessman Jimmy Pattison, actress Andrea Martin and a posthumous honour for Montreal singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen.