Whenever I hear an actor or music artist is from Canada, I proudly say, "They belong to us." Musically speaking, we have many quality artists. (Yes, Celine Dion is one of our biggest stars, but she isn't the only one.) Some of Christian music's most popular artists are from Canada. I have a list of chart toppers who you won't believe are from the Great White North. Here you go.

Matt Maher 
Yes, the music maestro Matt Maher is from Canada. He was born and raised in the Province of Newfoundland. Maher lived in the City of St. John's in his early years, playing piano in masses at his Catholic church. Once Maher turned 19, he moved with his mother--an American citizen--to Arizona following a divorce. Maher, already a music major, continued to pursue music as a career, playing in concert and jazz ensembles, and singing in a choir. 

Maher's career in music blossomed while attending church, obtaining his music degree from Arizona State University, and working odd jobs as a musician. Now, he is a Christian contemporary megastar with hits such as "Christ is Risen" and "Lord, I Need You," sung in churches across North America.

Love & The Outcome 
Up and comers Love & the Outcome are also proudly Canadian. Chris Rademaker and his wife Jodi King formed Love & the Outcome in the City of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The duo sold their condo and began touring extensively across Canada and in other countries, such as China and Liberia. In Nashville, the duo's rise to stardom continued after signing with Word Records in 2012. Most recently, Love & the Outcome released their sophomore album, These Are the Days, featuring the top hit, "The God I Know."

Thousand Foot Krutch 
I am very proud to say that Trevor McNevan, lead singer and founder of rock band Thousand Foot Krutch (TFK), is from Canada. Actually, McNevan grew up and launched TFK in my old stomping grounds of Peterborough--a city located Northeast of Toronto, Ontario. In his younger years, McNevan worked at McDonalds to help fund his music recording endeavors. On weekends, McNevan and then guitarist Dave Smith played gigs at a local theater, all the while setting the foundations of what would be one of Canada's biggest bands. Fast-forward to 2016, TFK now has eight albums under its belt--with the most recent being Exhale.

Hawk Nelson 
Hawk Nelson is also a Peterborough band, founded by then-lead singer Jason Dunn. In fact, fellow Peterborough resident Trevor McNevan took an interest in the quartet--Dunn, guitarist Davin Clark, bassist Daniel Biro, and drummer Matt Paige--after the release of the band's debut album, Saturday Rock Action. Thanks to McNevan's influence, music label Tooth & Nail Records gave Hawk Nelson the opportunity to record a full-length album, Letters to the President, under the Tooth & Nail banner. 

In 2012, Dunn left the band to pursue solo endeavours. Jonathan Steingard, who had earlier replaced Clark as lead guitarist, stepped up and took over the lead singer duties after Dunn's departure. Shortly thereafter, Hawk Nelson signed with record label Fair Trade Services. Hawk Nelson's most recent album, Diamonds, was released in 2015.

Manafest 
Canadian Christian singers are a tightly knit community. TFK's Trevor McNevan was also responsible for giving Christian rapper--and fellow Canadian--Manafest his big break. Manafest, also known as Chris Greenwood, was raised in my current city of residence of Pickering, Ontario--a city located east of Toronto. 

Manafest's story is riddled with tragedy and heartbreak. When he was five, his father committed suicide. Originally, Manafest wanted to be a professional skateboarder, but a severe skateboarding accident ended that dream. At a bible camp, he discovered Christ, and, after recovering from his skateboarding accident, decided to pursue a career in music. 

McNevan's intervention led to Greenwood's signing with record label BEC Recordings. Before his signing, Manafest recorded two independent albums: Misled Youth and My Own Thing. Epiphany was Manafest's first album under the BEC Recordings banner. Over the next few years, his popularity in the Christian music industry grew exponentially. Recently, Manafest once again became an independent artist, releasing his latest album, Reborn in 2015. 

Amanda Cook 
Bethel Music singer Amanda Cook grew up on a farm in Niverville, Manitoba, Canada--a small town located near Winnipeg. She began performing with a local worship team at age 16. Subsequently, Cook released three solo albums, using her maiden name, Amanda Falk. 

In 2010, Cook connected with Bethel Church and became a member of its music ministry. Shortly thereafter, Falk married husband Jacob Cook in 2011. She is currently serving as a songwriter and worship leader for Bethel Church. Cook released her fourth solo album, Brave New World, under the Bethel Music banner in 2015.

Manic Drive 
Brothers Shawn and Michael Cavallo, along with friend Anthony Moreino--collectively known as Manic Drive--released their debut album in 2005. The Cavallo brothers began writing, performing, and recording music at the ages of 9. The two brothers even started a little family band with their musically inclined father. Both brothers, from Toronto, Ontario, wanted to communicate God's love to His people through music.

"The main focus for Manic Drive from an artistic perspective is to challenge ourselves creatively pushing beyond our previous limitations, trying new ideas and ultimately landing on something that will be fun to experience live as well as on an iPod," says Shawn Cavallo. "We hope every Manic Drive release will be refreshing to our fans as we continue to grow artistically as a band and we definitely hope our lyrics resonate with people, challenging them to take a stand in faith to impact the world around them."

Since their humble beginnings, Manic Drive has released five studio albums, with the highly infectious hit, "VIP," topping Billboard's Christian Rock chart.

What's your favorite Canadian Christian band?