Strength athletics in Canada
Strength athletics in Canada covers the country’s Strongman events at all levels, connected with the World’s Strongest Man. The sport has roots going back to Louis Cyr in the early 1900s, who was called the “Strongest Man on Earth.” Canadian athletes have repeatedly reached the podium at major events, with Tom Magee finishing 2nd in 1982, Dominic Filiou 3rd in 2005, Jean-François Caron 3rd in 2020, and Maxime Boudreault 3rd in 2021. Provincial championships lead to the National Championships each year to crown Canada’s Strongest Man. In 2023, Mitchell Hooper won the World’s Strongest Man title, becoming the first Canadian to finish first there.
Canada’s Strongest Man is an annual event featuring only Canadian athletes. It began in 1982, with Tom Magee winning the first two titles. Hugo Girard later won a Canadian record six titles. After Hugo’s injuries, Jessen Paulin won in 2005 and 2006. Dominic Filiou won in 2007, becoming the first man to defeat Hugo on Canadian soil. Since 2011, Jean-François Caron has dominated, winning Canada’s Strongest Man every year and helping grow the sport in the country.
North America’s Strongest Man is a separate annual competition for athletes from Canada and the United States. It started in 1992 in Quebec, with Gary Mitchell of the United States winning the first title. The contest has had three hiatus periods (1994–1997, 2004–2006, 2015–2022) and has been held eighteen times in total. Canada has produced five champions who together hold ten titles, while the United States has produced eight champions who hold eight titles. The event has always been held in Quebec.
Current champions: Canada’s Strongest Man — Tristain Hoath (2025); North America’s Strongest Man — Bryce Johnson.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 08:54 (CET).