Tom Hanson (photojournalist)

Career

Tom Hanson was born in Rochester, New York and then moved with his family to Montreal, where he grew up. Hanson was educated at Vanier College and Concordia University . He began freelance work at the Canadian Press in 1989, and became an Ottawa employee in 1992. In 1992, Hanson was awarded the Canadian Press Picture of the Year Award. In 2002, he was named Canadian Photojournalist of the Year. Hanson's photographs capture the main events of Canadians, such as the Oka crisis, the Summit of the Americas in Quebec, the evacuation of Canadians from Lebanon in 2006 and the Canadian mission in Afghanistan.

Hanson married Katherine Marshall. His interests included playing guitar, motorcycles, and ice hockey.

He died of an apparent heart attack after passing out after playing pickup ice hockey in Ottawa.

In the House of Commons of Canada, Hanson was praised by speakers from all parties, including the Prime Minister.

Famous photos

His depiction of Mohawk warrior Richard Nicholas standing on an overturned car SrReté du Québec as part of a barricade during the Oka crisis is one of the iconic images of the conflict.

Oddly enough, Richard Nicholas, pictured, died in a car accident on the same day, and at the same age as Hanson.

He was also a group of photographers present during the signing of the Ottawa Treaty (Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-personnel Mines), which prohibits anti-personnel mines. The signing took place in 1997 in Ottawa, attended by hundreds of heads of State.