Homegrown superstars James Cameron, Celine Dion, Michael J. Fox and Rachel McAdams were among the celebrities who issued a unified plea Friday night to help victims of Haiti's devastating earthquake.
A who's-who of Canadian talent lent their weight to the star-studded "Canada for Haiti" benefit show, which preceded a Hollywood-driven telethon led by George Clooney.
An early estimate suggested $2.5 million was raised during the one-hour Canadian special, which was broadcast live on CBC, CTV and Global Television.
The show began with the song "Try" by Nelly Furtado and also included performances by K'Naan, Metric and The Tragically Hip.
Pre-recorded and live requests for donations came from A-list actors including Fox, McAdams and Ryan Reynolds, and heavyweight directors Jason Reitman and Norman Jewison.
"As Canadians we come from all walks of life, different backgrounds and different means, but one thing we have in common is our tremendous generosity of spirit," Fox said in a taped video message.
"It is to that spirit I'm appealing now when I ask you to please give and give as much as you can. At the end of the day I can't think of anything more Canadian than that."
Celine Dion also appeared in a video message in a call for donations.
"We need to help, we need to get together, do whatever you can," she said.
"A dollar, five dollars, whatever you can. We have to be hand in hand to help these wonderful people. To start with they didn't have much, they need us, please be generous."
An emotional McAdams, who was in Toronto for the broadcast, thanked Canadians "for opening their hearts so much."
"Let's not stop, let's keep this amazing momentum going," she said.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper reminded Canadians in a taped message that the government would match donations made to aid groups.
"Together we can make a difference, so hope can return to Haiti," Harper said.
Co-host George Stroumboulopoulos repeatedly urged viewers and listeners to keep trying if they got a busy signal and said the telethon was getting four times the calls that was expected.
Applause broke out on set when Stroumboulopoulos announced a caller had made a $100,000 donation.
Director Atom Egoyan said before the show that he hoped the spirit of charity would extend well beyond the broadcast.
"This is a unique situation, but it's going to continue to be a unique situation in the months and years to come as Haiti is rebuilding, and we have to keep being able to remember what we felt this evening," Egoyan said.
"Tonight is just the beginning of a whole gesture. We're going to have to continue to remember that this country is in dire straits and we're going to have to all be part of its regrowth."
Earlier in the day, statements trickled in from some celebrities asking for donations on behalf of the impoverished Caribbean nation, which was struck by a massive earthquake on Jan. 12.
"The people of Haiti need food, water, medical treatment - that's the short term," William Shatner said in his videotaped plea, released to media before the show. "The long term is that much of the country needs to be rebuilt, so please give what you can and help the people of Haiti."
"The earthquake in Haiti is such a horrible tragedy, and such a huge catastrophe, that it can easily make us feel small, weak and powerless in the face of such devastation," added actor Brent Butt.
"But we have to remember that we are not powerless, and that even if we are small, a few million of us working together can make a big difference and give real help."
A French-language benefit, "Ensemble pour Haiti," was to air Friday night on TVA Network, Societe Radio-Canada, Tele-Quebec, V Tele, LCN, MusiquePlus and MusiMax, TV5 and Espace Musique.
The English-Canadian telethon will be followed by the U.S. benefit "Hope For Haiti Now," a two-hour show from New York, London, Los Angeles and Haiti featuring performances by superstars Beyonce, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, U2's Bono and the Edge, Coldplay, Keith Urban, Stevie Wonder and more.
Clooney, who helped put together the telethon, will host its Los Angeles portion, while musician and Haiti-native Wyclef Jean will lead the New York broadcast. CNN's Anderson Cooper will add reports from Haiti, while Rihanna, Beyonce, Jay-Z and other stars will be featured from London.
The Canadian lineup included some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry: film stars Rachelle Lefevre, Eugene Levy, Tom Jackson and Will Arnett; TV personalities Joshua Jackson, Sandra Oh, Hugh Dillon, Mike Holmes, Rick Mercer, Alex Trebek, and Pamela Anderson.
Musicians were to include Geddy Lee, Justin Bieber, Sarah McLachlan, Barenaked Ladies, Simple Plan, David Foster, Chantal Kreviazuk, Raine Maida and Measha Brueggergosman.
"Although it took a lot of effort to bring all these wonderful personalities together, everyone who is here, I can confidently say, is thrilled to be here," Brueggergosman said.
"A lot of people changed their schedules, a lot of people came from far and wide in order to be here and I think that speaks to our generosity as Canadians."
Also set to appear were star athletes Wayne Gretzky and Steve Nash, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean.
Donations will go to several non-profit groups including the Canadian Red Cross Society, Care Canada, Free the Children, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam Quebec, Plan Canada, Save the Children Canada, UNICEF Canada and World Vision Canada.
The entertainment world has responded with an outpouring of charity - from million-dollar donations to fundraising songs - since Haiti was struck by a devastating earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people.
Efforts include a planned charity single including the voices of Rod Stewart, Leona Lewis and Canadian Michael Buble. Partly organized by The Sun newspaper in London, the paper says the song will be a cover of R.E.M.'s 1993 ballad "Everybody Hurts."
Canadians can donate by visiting canadaforhaiti.com , dialling 1-877-51-HAITI or texting AID to 45678.