The 'Eh' List (Published 2005)

• Oct. 16, 2005

America's next top model? she's likely from canada.Canada is the new Estonia - at least when it comes to modeling. In the past few seasons, Canuck cuties like Jessica Stam, Heather Marks, Agnieszka Wichniewicz, Marla Boehr and Lisa Cant have gone from nowhere to everywhere, snagging the covers of the world's leading magazines and the highest-paying advertising contracts away from those Baltic and South American beauties who have held them like so many trophies.

Of course, the Canadian invasion is nothing new. In the late 1980's and early 90's, breakout stars like Linda Evangelista, Yasmeen Ghauri and Shalom Harlow helped put Canada on the fashion map. But lately it seems that every month yet another stunner plants the maple-leaf flag atop the modeling summit.

Of the current pioneers, Daria Werbowy has made the biggest impact, having replaced the Brazilian Gisele Bundchen as the fashion world's supe du jour. A Ukrainian native who moved as a child to Mississauga, just outside Toronto, Werbowy has been on the covers of the American, the Italian and the French editions of Vogue, walked runways for the world's leading designers and landed lucrative advertising contracts for Prada, Chanel and Lancôme.

Model watchers are not surprised by the success of Werbowy, Tasha Tilberg and their supermodel sisters from up north. Says Joseph Tenni, an agent who also writes the online column Model Mania: "Canada is so diverse that it's attractive for agency scouts. You can find classic beauties like Daria, exotic girls like Honorine, who is a Rwandan refugee, and quirky types like Lisa Cant." And, he adds, almost as an afterthought, "unlike some models, Canadians are very diligent and usually very sweet to work with." Or as Heather Marks, the 17-year-old Vogue favorite from Calgary, puts it: "It could be that Canada is just having a moment like Brazil and Russia did. But I think it's something in the water." HORACIO SILVA