The Canadian Rebel referred to in the crossword solution is Louis Riel, a Metis leader and politician who led two resistance movements against the Canadian government in the late 19th century. He was a key figure in the history of the Canadian West and is seen by many as a folk hero. Riel was a founder of the province of Manitoba and a political leader of the Metis people of the Canadian Prairies. He was also a leader of the Red River Rebellion of 1869–1870 and the North-West Rebellion of 1885.