‘Canada loves you back:’ Ryan Reynolds honoured with Governor General’s Award

An emotional Ryan Reynolds, through a mix of laughter and tears, took in a musical tribute from musician Steven Page as he was honoured with a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award Friday.

“I’m glad I don’t have to be dead to experience something like this. I’m so beyond touched right now,” Reynolds tweeted, after thanking Governor-General Mary Simon for the award, and Page for the song.

Accepting the honour, Reynolds credited Canada as having shaped the parts of his personality that he’s become most known for — humility and generosity.

“In a lot of ways, I feel like Canada is kind of like one of my parents, you know? I feel like Canada kind of raised me and taught me how to laugh at myself and filter everything through the prism of self-deprecation,” he said.

“Most of all Canada has taught me about kindness and about sharing and so many things that you would hope a great parent would impart upon a child and I feel like I’m the lucky beneficiary of Canada in so many ways.”

Reynolds was honoured for “work of an extraordinary nature and significance in the performing arts,” in recognition of his contributions to TV and film.

But he’s beloved just as much for what he does off-screen.

Last year, a petition was launched to have a street named after Reynolds in his hometown of Vancouver.

The petition pointed to a number of ways Reynolds made the news that year for helping people in the city and across Canada. The petition was launched after Reynolds announced he and his wife Blake Lively were donating $500,000 to Covenant House to help fund the organization’s work with homeless youth in Vancouver and Toronto. The couple also donated$1 million to Food Banks Canada and Feeding America.

Having also lived in Ottawa for a period of time, Reynolds has also been generous locally.

Back in April 2020, the actor donated $2,000 to the Distress Centre of Ottawa, helping them reach the centre’s fundraising goal of $50,000.

But if Ottawa doesn’t recognize Reynolds as a Hollywood actor, they’ll recognize him as “Bruce the social media intern” at Ottawa Public Health (OPH).

In March 2021 during the Super Bowl, a video went viral of Reynold as “Bruce” and had claimed that he was the one who left out the winning team’s name and logo from an OPH’s tweet on Super Bowl Sunday.

In the video tweet, “Bruce” reminded Ottawa residents to wash their hands, stay home and wear a mask.

From using his own salary to hire BIPOC production assistants to work on a Vancouver-based project, to helping reunite a woman with a beloved keepsake that was stolen, to treating the graduating class of his alma-mater with pizza after COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the ceremony — the celebrity always seems to be willing to step up for his hometown.

The Deadpool actor has also gone out of his way to surprise fans in his home province, sending a message of encouragement to an 11-year-old battling cancer, and recording a birthday message for a nine-year-old who was isolated in a new community. 

He has a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame.

– With files from Dani-Elle Dubé