Oh, look it’s a TV actress with a vanity project.

Edmonton-born TV star Jill Hennessy is working on an album called “Ghost in My Mind.”

“I know there’s going to be a lot of skepticism,” Hennessy to the QMI Agency, via the Toronto Star. “People will say, ‘Oh, it’s a TV actress with a vanity project.’”

Hey, how did she know we’d say that? Seriously, we love Jill’s venture back into music, and her return to Edmonton makes her our Canadian of the Week!

“Not many people know that I actually started off as a musician. I would play on the streets in Toronto for money,” she continued. “Music’s basically where my heart has always been, to be honest. I was just lucky that acting took off. Music provides me with much more profound and personal satisfaction.”

She goes on to explain that she’s been working on the album for more than four years, and started it while she was filming “Crossing Jordan.” The songs are based on experiences from her life from 2005 to 2007, including one situation “of extreme loss.”

In an ideal world, Hennessy says she’d have a full-fledged music career on her hands. But she knows acting is what puts food on the table.

She’ll be playing the Edmonton Music Festival this weekend.

Check out Jill performing “Ghost in My Head” on QTV right here:

If you don’t know who Darrelle London is by now, you’re not paying attention — to Perez Hilton’s blog.

The celeb gossiper, in his unending attempt to invade the music business with his burgeoning label, has looked north to sign the newest act to Perezcious Music.

Darrelle, a 14-year-old from Toronto, evokes a cutesy 1940s vibe in the short clip below. Could she be the female Bieber?

See for yourself:

Proving yet again that we Americans don’t trust ourselves to assess our own reality show contestants, Toronto’s Howie Mandel took his seat at the panel on NBC’s summer talent show, “America’s Got Talent,” completely the now completely foreign-born set of judges.

Howie made a fairly understated debut, but perhaps the most fun was watching him weather the traditional judges’ run through the crowd amid a gauntlet of high-fives. The famously OCD Howie, who does not shake hands for fear of germs, covered up the first time, and the second time he had to run through the crowd, he literally sprinted from the entrance to the judges’ table.

Canadian hottie and recent No. 1 choice in AskMen.com’s Most Desirable Women list Emmanuelle Chriqui is one of five ladies who stripped for Allure’s annual nude issue, which hits newsstands on Tuesday.

The Montreal native who grew up in Toronto tells the magazine, “Some women want bigger breasts. But [I wish] I could have had a dancer’s body. I sometimes wear plunging necklines because they make me feel smaller.”

The mag reports that Chriqui was on day four of a 10-day organic-food “cleanse” when the shoot took place, but she wasn’t trying to shed pounds.

“It’s not about losing weight,” she said. “I didn’t want to feel freaked out about today, so I consciously kept focusing on excitement.”

Also included in the issue are “American Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi and singer Colbie Caillat. See more of Chriqui and the rest at Allure.com.

It might be a few days late, but if he made us wait five years to let us know that Booth and Bones already kissed, we’re pretty sure Hart Hanson will understand.

As promised, the creator of “Bones,” which celebrated its 100th episode last week with a real bombshell, is our Canadian of the Week.

Back in 2005, Hanson, who was born in California but moved to Canada as a child and graduated from the University of Toronto before getting an MFA from the University of British Columbia, dared to bring a forensic crime drama to Fox, of all places. Who would’ve believed that despite not necessarily pulling in the numbers of those forensics-by-numbers shows on CBS, he took Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz and crew, and created the most personal and fun forensics show of the bunch.

Winding down to the end of its fifth season, with a sixth already ordered from Fox, “Bones” boasts one of the most loyal audiences in television. Despite scheduling changes that have seen the show air on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, throughout its run, viewership has remained consistent and even grown a bit since the premiere, without wavering.

Then came last week’s 100th episode, written by Hanson and directed by Boreanaz, in which a trip down memory lane revealed that Bones and Booth actually kissed when they first met and worked their first case together. So, it turns out the “will they or won’t they?” question is answered with a resounding: They already did!

Still, they decided to keep things professional at the time, and the new information brings the sexual tension to a new level, and that should be entertaining for at least a few more years to come.

In case you missed it, or just feel like watching it again, here’s the 100th episode of “Bones”:

News flash: Not all Canadians know each other.

E! Online’s Hollywood Party girl was shocked — shocked! — to discover recently that not all Canadians know each other.

“90210″ star Shenae Grimes (of Toronto) was asked if she ever bonds with her fellow countryman, “Glee” star Cory Monteith, who hails from Calgary (as any good COTW reader already knows).

“God, I wish I knew who that was,” Shenae replied, also noting she hasn’t gotten a chance to see “Glee,” which airs on Fox (her “90210″ airs on The CW).

In fairness, I’ve been surprised at just how many Canadians really do know each other. At the same time, Calgary and Toronto are more than 2,000 miles apart.

The Party Girl’s post ends with a simple suggestion that the two rising TV stars meet because they might make a nice Canadian couple.

And that’s an argument we can get behind.

The “Lost Boy” tried, but never found himself.

Canada and Hollywood lost one of its ’80s heroes this morning when 38-year-old Corey Haim was pronounced dead in the early morning hours after an apparent drug overdose.

I have to admit, I’ve spent a few weekend afternoons watching self-made marathons of “The Two Coreys” On Demand, and it was at once entertaining, uncomfortable and heartbreaking to watch Haim — who his longtime friend and occasional foe Corey Feldman called a “tortured soul” — try to regain his footing in life and in acting.

The Toronto native was just about 15 years old when he starred with Winona Ryder and Charlie Sheen in “Lucas,” and “The Lost Boys” followed the next year, setting off a string of movies with Feldman for which Haim would forever be known.

For more on Haim and a wonderful, complete obituary, visit CBC.ca.

By Gordon Holmes
Special to Canadian of the Week

From Alberta’s Hart Family to Quebec’s Rougeau Brothers to Ontario’s Edge and Christian, the tradition of Canadian wrestling is full of larger-than-life personalities and unforgettable matches. Join us every week as we count down to Wrestlemania XXVI by taking a look at the Great White North’s finest contributions to the squared circle.

Editor’s Note: The “Modern Era” is defined as the period of wrestling that exists from
SummerSlam 1988 to the present day. Why 1988? Because that’s when I started watching wrestling. I know, I’m lame.

Previous picks:
10. Andrew “Test” Martin
9. John “Earthquake” Tenta
8. Lance Storm
7. Christian
6. Chris Benoit

5: Trish Stratus
Height: 5’4”
Weight: 125 lbs.
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Greatest Match: Stratus vs. Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley – No Way Out 2001

If this were a ranking of the top women wrestlers of the modern era, Trish Stratus would be a no-brainer pick for the top spot.

Of the handful of women who have been legitimate draws in the past few decades, none of them have combined the superstar look, promo-cutting ability, and in-ring talent into one package the way Trish Stratus has. Sable had a million-dollar look but couldn’t talk or work. Lita could throw an impressive highspot or three when she needed to, but couldn’t cut a promo to save her life. And Chyna…well…I never quite got the appeal of Chyna…maybe the less said about her the better.

So, if Trish is the undeniable best female wrestler of the past twenty years, I think it’s fair to say she’s the Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, or Rock of women wrestlers.

But how do you rank a woman wrestler against male wrestlers?

Sure, the in-ring and microphone basics are the same, but from a business standpoint, the pressure and drawing ability of a female wrestler isn’t as great as that of a male wrestler. Not to open up a sexual politics debate, but from a money-making standpoint the Women’s Champion isn’t as important to the company as the male World Champion. The Women’s Champion rarely main events shows and is rarely given enough time to put on a classic match.

I’m not saying that’s the way it should be, I’m saying that’s the way it is.

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Comparing Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, and The Rock to Trish Stratus isn’t exactly fair. It’s like comparing apples to super hot oranges.

So here sits Trish, arguably the greatest female wrestler of all time sitting at the number five spot on a list of the best Canadian wrestlers of the modern era.

Is it fair? Probably not. Is that the way I’m going to leave it? Yes.

That being said, Trish deserves credit for much more than her wrestling character and in-ring ability. She was The Miz before The Miz was The Miz.

Wait, what?

Basically The Miz and Trish got their jobs based on something other than their wrestling-based talents. The Miz was a minor celebrity from his appearance on MTV’s “The Real World.” Trish was hired because she was a nuclear-hot fitness model.

Both could have coasted for a while and enjoyed some success without ever improving. We’ve seen it before. Yes, I’m looking at you, Maven.

However, neither was content to rest on their laurels. Both worked to improve all facets of the craft. And now, The Miz walks around with three championship belts and Trish Stratus is considered to be the best female wrestler of all time (or a close second to the Fabulous Moolah.)

So, why didn’t Trish follow the standard eye candy route that The Kat and Terri Runnels paved for her? Because she’s a wrestler.

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While Diva Search contestants were signing with the WWE because it was a paycheck that kept them out of strip clubs, Trish signed because she was a wrestler.

And by wrestler, I mean someone who when they enter the ring and are about to do something violent doesn’t think “Gee, I hope this doesn’t hurt too bad.”

They think, “This better look awesome.”

It may sound simple, but it’s not a mindset many outside the business have.

As someone with a wrestling background, I’ve been asked several times why I’d allow myself to be smacked with a steel chair or thrown through a table. The answer is simple; the mental pain of something looking terrible is way worse than the physical pain of something that looked awesome.

I’m not special. I’d say 95 percent of wrestlers have this same attitude.

Trish Stratus is a perfect example of this. She’s missing a knuckle from a match with Victoria (now Tara). She never had it repaired because it looks cool and she likes to tell the story. When given the choice of experiencing a hand taser or a shooting taser on the dreadful reality show “Armed and Famous” she chose the more painful shooting taser because it’d look better.

And that’s just one facet of what Trish brought to the table.

In fact, I’d go so far as to say if Vince McMahon were allowed to head into a lab and create the perfect Diva; she’d have the looks of Trish Stratus, the attitude of Trish Stratus, and the work rate of Trish Stratus.

The only thing I’d change? The catchphrase: “Stratusfaction.” I’ve always kinda hated that.

Gordon Holmes is the wrestling correspondent for Comcast.net’s SlamCast wrestling coverage and the “Survivor” correspondent for Fancast.com. He was also trained to take a beating by WWE Hall of Famer Afa “The Wild Samoan” Anoa’i. You can follow Gordon on Twitter at twitter.com/gordonholmes.

The spirit of Canadian unity is in the air as the 2010 Winter Olympics come down the home stretch, and nowhere is it more evident than in the apparent closeness and acceptance of French-Canadian athletes, including skier Alexandre Bilodeau, who won the nation’s first gold medal on home soil, and figure skater Joannie Rochette, who captivated the world with her brave performance Tuesday night just two days after her mother’s sudden death.

But much of Canada’s union is credited to a couple of politicians from the mid 1800s: Louis Hippolyte LaFontaine and Robert Baldwin.

This week’s Heritage Minute whisks us back to 1841, when LaFontaine preached a message of non-violence even when his French-Canadians supporters were blocked from the voting polls and deterred from casting their ballots for him in his run for political office. He lost the election, but his message endured.

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Robert Baldwin would later convince LaFontaine to take public office in Toronto, planting the seed for French-British cooperation that carries on to this day — despite some hiccups along the way.

“Canada’s existence owes much to the partnership of two moderate reformers: Louis Hippolyte LaFontaine and Robert Baldwin,” Historica Dominion writes. “By the end of the 1840s, Baldwin and LaFontaine had succeeded in convincing the British government that legislative power should rest in the hands of the elected assembly of the colony. Moreover, their historical compromise showed that French and English Canadians could work together to solve their political problems.”

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This week’s Heritage Minute covers quite a bit of ground, starting with the 1841 election in which LaFontaine kept his supporters from responding to violence with more violence, and ending with a historic union between LaFontaine and Baldwin that many believe set the unified nation on its course for the future.

Heritage Minutes are 60-second short films that are shown in between some TV shows in Canada — and they’re amazing. We’re planning to bring you a “Heritage Minute” every Thursday on COTW.

Enjoy.

By Gordon Holmes
Special to Canadian of the Week

From Alberta’s Hart Family to Quebec’s Rougeau Brothers to Ontario’s Edge and Christian, the tradition of Canadian wrestling is full of larger-than-life personalities and unforgettable matches. Join us every week as we count down to Wrestlemania XXVI by taking a look at the Great White North’s finest contributions to the squared circle.

Editor’s Note: The “Modern Era” is defined as the period of wrestling that exists from
SummerSlam 1988 to the present day. Why 1988? Because that’s when I started watching wrestling. I know, I’m lame.

Previous picks:
10. Andrew “Test” Martin
9. John “Earthquake” Tenta
8. Lance Storm

7: Christian
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 227 lbs.
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Greatest Match: Edge and Christian vs. Hardy Boyz vs. Dudley Boyz – Wrestlemania X-Seven – TLC Tag Title Match

When one member of a tag team goes on to become a bigger star than the other member, that less successful member isn’t referred to as “The Jim Neidhart” or “The Ray Rougeau.”

They’re known as “The Marty Jannetty.”

Maybe it isn’t fair for any wrestler to have to live up to the legacy Shawn Michaels has crafted for himself during his post-Rockers career, but such is life. After Shawn ended their tag team run by shoving Jannetty face first through Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake’s storefront window, Michaels went on to enjoy four World Championships and some quality time with Tammy “Sunny” Sytch in her prime. Meanwhile, poor Jannetty was left to bounce around the independent circuit.

So, when the WWE was enjoying a bit of a tag team renaissance around 2000-2001, me and my friends would debate who would become the Shawns and who would become the Martys.

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The charismatic daredevil Jeff Hardy? Future superstar. His more fundamentally sound, yet microphone challenged brother Matt? Less so.

The angry redneck with a fetish for smashing women through tables Bubba Ray Dudley? Maybe not up to Shawn Michaels’ talent level, but seemingly destined for bigger things. His testimonial-requesting half brother D-Von? Not so much.

Then there was Edge and Christian. Surely Edge had to be the Shawn Michaels in this scenario. He had the cool gimmick of the club kid who would stalk the arena and enter the ring from the audience. He had the double awesome Stanley Cup-inspired trophy he received after winning the 2001 King of the Ring tournament. And, he even had a brief Intercontinental Title reign before he ever began teaming with Christian.

This theory was seemingly proved shortly after the team broke up in the Fall of 2001. Edge would quickly go on to unify the WCW U.S. Title and the WWE Intercontinental Title while Christian was promptly lost in the shuffle of the WCW/ECW Alliance mess.

Surely, Christian was on his way to a plate-glass facial.

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But something funny happened on the way to the Barber Shop. Christian managed to survive misguided angles such as throwing temper tantrums after every loss and Steve Austin dubbing him a “Creepy Little Bastard.” In spite of all of that, he found his groove.

The nickname “Captain Charisma” and the catchphrase “That’s how I roll” started to catch on. Signs from fans proclaiming themselves to be one of his “Peeps” started to show up in the audience. And his feud with Chris Jericho over the lovely Trish Stratus was one of the highlights of the WWE’s very strong 2004.

From there, Christian enjoyed a successful run in TNA which helped him hone the character we’re seeing today.

Christian may not be among the higher echelon of WWE superstars today, but I wouldn’t bet against him eventually getting there for one reason; he can make the fans care. Watch a Christian match; even when he’s paired with a questionable worker like Ezekiel Jackson, the fans are into the finish. He clearly has the talent to carry the move, catchphrase, or angle that’s needed to finally propel him through the glass ceiling.

(OK, I swear that’s the last glass-breaking metaphor.)

So, does all of that make Edge the Marty Jannetty? Absolutely not. But I will say this about Christian; everyone else you’ll see on this list will probably stay in their spot until someone bumps them lower. Nothing against those workers, they’ve just either retired, reached their peaks, or passed on.

But if we revisit this list in a few years, Christian is the only one I can see in a higher position.

Gordon Holmes is the wrestling correspondent for Comcast.net’s SlamCast wrestling coverage and the “Survivor” correspondent for Fancast.com. He was also trained to take a beating by WWE Hall of Famer Afa “The Wild Samoan” Anoa’i. You can follow Gordon on Twitter at twitter.com/gordonholmes.