This is a list of notable people who are from British Columbia, Canada, or have spent a large part or formative part of their career in that province.
Premiers
See List of premiers of British Columbia.
Members of Parliament
- Jim Abbott
- David Anderson
- Thomas Speakman Barnett
- Dave Barrett, former Premier of British Columbia
- Ron Basford
- Don Bell
- Thomas Berger
- Hewitt Bostock
- Margaret Bridgman
- Chuck Cadman
- Iona Campagnolo, later Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia
- Kim Campbell, also Prime Minister of Canada
- Pat Carney
- Raymond Chan
- Mary Collins
- Chuck Cook
- Jean Crowder
- Nathan Cullen
- John Cummins
- Libby Davies
- Stockwell Day
- Amor De Cosmos, second Premier of British Columbia
- Edgar Dewdney, later Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia
- Herb Dhaliwal
- Ujjal Dosanjh, former Premier of British Columbia
- Tommy Douglas
- John Duncan
- David Emerson
- Paul Forseth
- Hedy Fry
- Jim Gouk
- Gurmant Grewal
- Nina Grewal
- Herbert Wilfred Herridge
- Russ Hiebert
- Jay Hill
- Betty Hinton
- Frank Howard
- William Irvine
- Pauline Jewett
- Peter Julian
- Douglas Jung
- Jim Karpoff
- Sophia Leung
- Gary Lunn
- Grace MacInnis
- Ian Alistair Mackenzie
- Roy MacLaren
- Len Marchand
- Keith Martin
- Gerry McGeer
- James Moore
- Henry Nathan Jr.
- Stephen Owen
- George Pearkes, later Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia
- Art Phillips, former mayor of Vancouver
- Elmore Philpott
- John Reynolds
- Nelson Riis
- Svend Robinson
- Paul St. Pierre
- Tom Siddon
- Bill Siksay
- Bob Skelly
- Darrel Stinson
- Chuck Strahl
- John Turner, also Prime Minister of Canada
- Ian Waddell
- Mark Warawa
- Randy White
Jurists
- Beverley McLachlin, chief justice of Canada
- Alfred Scow, First Status Indian judge BC Provincial Court
Other politicians
- Emery Barnes
- Wesley Drewett Black, Provincial Secretary 1952-1972
- Richard Blanshard, first Governor of the Colony of Vancouver Island
- Rosemary Brown
- Frank Arthur Calder, First Nations MLA and Nisga'a politician
- Sir James Douglas, colonial governor (all colonies)
- Jennifer Granholm, Canadian/American politician and former Governor of Michigan (2003-2011); naturalized US citizen
- Ginger Goodwin, Labour organizer
- Guujaaw, Haida politician, activist and cultural leader
- Edward John
- Arthur Kennedy, governor of the united colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia
- David Lam, philanthropist and Lieutenant-Governor
- Rafe Mair
- Grace McCarthy
- Joy McPhail
- Frederick Seymour, Governor of Vancouver Island and of British Columbia
- William Fraser Tolmie
- Joseph Trutch, colonial Lieutenant-Governor and first Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of British Columbia
Scientists
- Ian Affleck, physicist
- Robert Edward Bell, nuclear physicist
- Margaret Benston, chemist, computer scientist
- Michael Bigg, marine biologist
- Jim Chamberlin, aerodynamicist
- Wade Davis, ethnobotanist
- Ryan C.N. D'Arcy, neuroscientist
- James E. Gill, geologist
- John R. Hendricks, mathematician
- Abram Hoffer, biochemist, physician
- Frances Oldham Kelsey, pharmacologist
- Vit Klemes, hydrologist
- Mel Krajden, medical scientist
- Robert T. Lackey, fisheries scientist, ecologist, zoologist
- Robert Langlands, mathematician
- Jerrold E. Marsden, applied mathematician
- Bill Mathews, geologist, volcanologist, engineer
- Brian McConaghy, forensic scientist
- Ian McTaggart-Cowan, ecologist
- Patrick McTaggart-Cowan, meteorologist
- Faron Moller, computer scientist
- Barth Netterfield, astrophysicist
- Edward Faraday Odlum, geologist
- Santa J. Ono, biologist
- Robert Methven Petrie, astronomer
- Jerilynn Prior, medical scientist, endocrinologist
- Scott D. Sampson, paleontologist
- Martin Schechter, epidemiologist
- Robert Fletcher Shaw, engineer
- John Alexander Sinton, medical scientist, doctor, malariologist
- Frank Smith, psycholinguist
- Michael Smith, biochemist
- Wayne Smith, statistician
- David Suzuki, biologist, ecologist
- Robert Thirsk, engineer, physician, astronaut
- John Lancelot Todd, physician, parasitologist
- Bjarni Tryggvason, engineer, astronaut
- Paul Tseng, applied mathematician
- William Vickrey, Nobel Prize-winning economist
- Andrew Weaver, climate scientist
- Franklin White, public health scientist
Television/film actors and musicians
- Daniel Adair, drummer
- Bryan Adams, singer
- Evan Adams, First Nations actor ( Smoke Signals)
- Pamela Anderson, actress ( Baywatch, V.I.P.)
- Aaron Ashmore, actor (Warehouse 13)
- Shawn Ashmore, actor ( X-Men)
- Long John Baldry, musician, songwriter
- Gil Bellows, actor
- Michael Bublé, singer
- Raymond Burr, actor (Perry Mason)
- Jim Byrnes, musician, actor (Highlander)
- Nicholas Campbell, actor (Da Vinci's Inquest)
- Chris Carter, screenwriter, producer, director (X-Files)
- Anna Cathcart, actress
- Kim Cattrall, actress ( Sex and the City)
- Sarah Chalke, actress ( Scrubs)
- Tommy Chong, actor, comedian, cannabis rights activist ( Cheech & Chong)
- Hayden Christensen, actor ( Star Wars)
- Amanda Crew, actress ( Silicon Valley)
- Thomas Middleditch, actor ( Silicon Valley)
- Mackenzie Davis, actress ( Terminator: Dark Fate)
- William B. Davis, actor ( X-Files)
- Yvonne De Carlo, actress (The Munsters)
- Mac Demarco, musician, multi-instrumentalist
- Edward Dmytryk, film director
- James Doohan, actor ( Star Trek)
- Atom Egoyan, film director
- Aryana Engineer, actress (Orphan)
- Jodelle Ferland, actress
- Noel Fisher, actor (The Twilight Saga)
- Roy Forbes (Bim), musician
- Judith Forst, opera singer
- David Foster, songwriter, record producer
- Michael J Fox, actor, producer and health activist
- Nelly Furtado, singer-songwriter
- Chief Dan George, actor (Little Big Man, Cariboo Cowboy)
- Evan Goldberg, screenwriter ( Superbad, Pineapple Express)
- Matthew Good, musician
- Grimes (musician), musician
- June Havoc, actress
- Carter Hayden, actor and voice actor ( Bakugan: New Vestroia, Total Drama)
- Bill Henderson (Canadian singer), musician ( Chilliwack)
- Ben Heppner, opera singer
- Matt Hill, Canadian-American voice actor
- Jacob Hoggard, musician (Hedley)
- John Ireland, actor
- Robert Ito, actor
- Joshua Jackson, actor ( Dawson’s Creek)
- Carly Rae Jepsen, musician
- Alexz Johnson, singer, actress
- Avan Jogia, actor
- Joe Keithley, musician, songwriter (D.O.A.)
- Allan King, film director
- Taylor Kitsch, actor and model ( Friday Night Lights)
- Elias Koteas, actor (The Thin Red Line)
- Diana Krall, musician
- Kristin Kreuk, actress (Smallville)
- Nicholas Lea, actor (X-Files)
- Darryl Lenox, comedian
- Lights (musician), musician
- Evangeline Lilly, actress ( Lost, The Hurt Locker)
- Jessica Lowndes, actress ( 90210)
- Jessica Lucas, actress
- Alexander Ludwig, actor ( Vikings, The Hunger Games)
- Leon Mandrake, illusionist (Mandrake the Magician)
- Sarah McLachlan, musician
- Brandon Jay McLaren, actor ( Power Rangers: S.P.D., She's The Man)
- Rosa Mendes, model, professional wrestler
- Shay Mitchell, actress ( Pretty Little Liars)
- Carrie-Anne Moss, actress ( The Matrix)
- Meghan Ory, actress
- Molly Parker, actress (House of Cards)
- Barbara Parkins, actress
- Daniel Powter, musician, singer-songwriter, and pianist
- Jason Priestley, actor
- Kirsten Prout, actress
- John Qualen, actor
- Josh Ramsay, musician ( Marianas Trench)
- Mike Reno, musician, songwriter
- Ryan Reynolds, actor ( Green Lantern, Deadpool)
- Donnelly Rhodes, actor (Da Vinci's Inquest)
- Emily Bett Rickards, actress
- Seth Rogen, actor, comedian, writer, producer ( Pineapple Express, Superbad, Knocked Up)
- Will Sasso, actor ( Mad TV)
- Pablo Schreiber, actor ( The Wire, Orange is the New Black)
- Michael Shanks, actor
- Nell Shipman, actress, film director
- Alexis Smith, actress
- Dallas Smith, musician
- Cobie Smulders, actress ( How I Met Your Mother)
- Jewel Staite, actress
- Ryan Stiles, comedian, producer ( Whose Line Is It Anyway?)
- Dorothy Stratten, actress, model
- Bobby Taylor, Motown singer (Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers)
- Jon Mikl Thor, singer, performer and bodybuilder
- Meg Tilly, actress
- Jacob Tremblay, actor
- Daniel Wesley, musician
- Finn Wolfhard, actor, voice actor, musician ( Stranger Things, It)
- Glenn Wool, stand-up comedian
Athletes
- Glenn Anderson, ice hockey player
- Peter Bakonyi (1933–1997), Hungarian-born Canadian Olympic fencer
- Jason Bay (born 1978), Canadian-American baseball player
- Russell Baze
- Jamie Benn, ice hockey player
- Jordie Benn
- Mitch Berger (born 1972)
- Rod Brind'Amour
- Hy Buller (1926–1968), All Star NHL ice hockey player
- John Davison
- Ryan Dempster, baseball player
- Brenden Dillon
- Ryan Ellis, ice hockey player
- Brandon Clarke, Canadian-American NBA player
- Craig Forrest
- Jeff Francis
- Kaleigh Fratkin (born 1992), professional ice hockey player
- Freddy Fuller
- Danny Gare
- Leah Goldstein (born 1969), Canadian-born Israeli professional road racing cyclist winner of the Race Across America, World Bantamweight Kickboxing Champion, and Israel Duathlon national champion
- Shaul Gordon (born 1994), Canadian-Israeli Olympic fencer
- Nancy Greene
- Dan Hamhuis
- Rick Hansen
- Rich Harden
- Shawn Horcoff
- Jordyn Huitema
- Daniel Igali
- Barret Jackman
- Harry Jerome
- Teyo Johnson
- Harry Jones
- Paul Kariya
- Larry Kwong
- Andrew Ladd
- Silken Laumann
- Brett Lawrie
- Bob Lenarduzzi
- Adam Loewen
- Mark McMorris
- Willie Mitchell
- Greg Moore
- Justin Morneau (born 1981), baseball player
- Brendan Morrison
- Steve Nash (born 1974), basketball player
- Cam Neely
- Rob Niedermayer
- Scott Niedermayer
- Michael Nonni
- Tyler O'Neill
- Pat Onstad
- Simon Pond
- Carey Price
- Mark Recchi
- Gareth Rees
- Morgan Rielly
- Griffin Reinhart
- Max Reinhart
- Sam Reinhart
- Kevin Reynolds, figure skater; 2013 Four Continents champion and 2014 Winter Olympics team silver medalist
- Cliff Ronning
- Joe Sakic
- Eli Schenkel (born 1992), Olympic fencer
- Christine Sinclair
- Paul Spoljaric, baseball player
- Troy Stecher, ice hockey player
- Ari Taub (born 1971), Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler
- John Tenta
- Cliff Thorburn
- Conor Trainor
- John van't Schip
- Larry Walker, baseball player
- Percy Williams, sprinter
- Steve Yzerman (born 1965), ice hockey player
Artists
- Hank Bull, painter
- Emily Carr, artist
- Kate Craig, artist
- Olea Marion Davis, ceramist, sculptor
- Iris Hauser (born 1956), painter
- Fred Herzog, photographer
- Clive Holden, poet, film director and visual artist
- Karen Jamieson, dancer and choreographer
- Beatrice Lennie, painter, sculptor
- Glenn Lewis
- Attila Richard Lukacs, artist
- Charles Marega, sculptor
- Len Norris, editorial cartoonist
- Sophie Pemberton, painter
- Bill Reid, artist
- David Rimmer, filmmaker
- Jack Shadbolt, artist
- Godfrey Stephens, artist
- Shane Wilson, artist
Journalists and writers
- Doug Beardsley, poet and educator
- Bill Bissett, poet
- George Bowering, author
- Robert Bringhurst, poet
- Douglas Coupland, author (genX fiction)
- Janice Cowan
- Ranj Dhaliwal, author (crime-fiction)
- Ralph Edwards, naturalist/author (Caruso of Lonesome Lake)
- Timothy Findley, author
- Allan Fotheringham, columnist (politics, often satirical)
- Austin Gary, author
- William Gibson, author (Neuromancer)
- Terry Glavin, columnist/author and naturalist (ecology, fisheries, politics)
- John Stephen Hill, playwright Steve Hill (When I'm 64)
- Bruce Hutchison, editor/columnist and author (The Fraser)
- W.P. Kinsella, author/columnist (Shoeless Joe Goes To Iowa)
- Mark Leiren-Young, author/playwright/screenwriter (Never Shoot a Stampede Queen)
- Malcolm Lowry, novelist (Under the Volcano, October Ferry To Gabriola)
- Eswyn Lyster, genealogist and war bride author (Most Excellent Citizens, Trafford Press 2010)
- Keith Maillard, novelist, poet (Gloria, Motet, Two Strand River)
- Daphne Marlatt, poet
- Alan Morley, journalist and historian (Vancouver: From Milltown to Metropolis)
- Margaret Lally "Ma" Murray, editor, columnist
- Susan Musgrave, poet
- Kliph Nesteroff, writer, broadcaster
- Rohan O'Grady, novelist (Let's Kill Uncle, Pippin's Journal)
- Stan Persky, author and journalist
- Eden Robinson, novelist (Monkey Beach)
- Spider Robinson, author (science fiction)
- George Ryga, playwright (The Ecstasy Of Rita Joe)
- Omar Sachedina, journalist and news anchor (CTV National News)
- Paul St. Pierre (Breaking Smith's Quarter Horse)
- Robin Skelton, poet
- Lauren Southern, right-wing activist and YouTuber
- William Fraser Tolmie, HBC Fur trade employee, medical doctor and later politician
- Margaret Trudeau, author
- Jack Wasserman, columnist (society, show biz, politics)
Others
- Brother Twelve
- Mary John Sr.
- Masajiro Miyazaki, osteopath, coroner and "bush doctor"
- Jim Pattison, businessman and Fortune 500 member
- Caspar Phair, Lillooet, pioneer and first government agent
- Jack Pickup, physician, the "Flying Doctor of British Columbia"
- Arran Stephens, author; founder of Nature's Path
- Amy Soranno, animal rights activist
- Skip Triplett, former president of Kwantlen Polytechnic University
- Jessica Yaniv, transgender activist
