Quotes by Canadian Authors | Beyond Motive

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Quotes by Canadian Authors

"Let them look to the past, but let them also look to the future; let them look to the land of their ancestors, but let them look also to the land of their children."

"Let them look to the past, but let them also look to the future; let them look to the land of their ancestors, but let them look also to the land of their children."

Wilfrid Laurier, Canadian Statesman

Family, Children, Future, Land, Past

98

"I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it."

"I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it."

Stephen Leacock, Canadian Economist

Motivational, Work, Luck

95

"My father was a police officer before he retired. One of my brothers is also a police officer, and I think they kind of expected I would do something along those lines, like become a fireman or something."

"My father was a police officer before he retired. One of my brothers is also a police officer, and I think they kind of expected I would do something along those lines, like become a fireman or something."

Ryan Reynolds, Canadian Actor

Father, Brothers, Police

92

"Grief changes shape, but it never ends."

"Grief changes shape, but it never ends."

Keanu Reeves, Canadian Actor

82

"A voice is a human gift; it should be cherished and used, to utter fully human speech as possible. Powerlessness and silence go together."

"A voice is a human gift; it should be cherished and used, to utter fully human speech as possible. Powerlessness and silence go together."

Margaret Atwood, Canadian Novelist

Silence, Speech, Voice

81

"The day the child realizes that all adults are imperfect, he becomes an adolescent; the day he forgives them, he becomes an adult; the day he forgives himself, he becomes wise."

"The day the child realizes that all adults are imperfect, he becomes an adolescent; the day he forgives them, he becomes an adult; the day he forgives himself, he becomes wise."

Alden Nowlan, Canadian Poet

73

"When I wrote my book I wanted to love someone. I wanted to be in love. Now I know that I shall never be in love - and I no longer wish to be."

"When I wrote my book I wanted to love someone. I wanted to be in love. Now I know that I shall never be in love - and I no longer wish to be."

Mary MacLane, Canadian Writer

70

"Discipline is remembering what you want."

"Discipline is remembering what you want."

David Campbell, Canadian Politician

Discipline, Want

70

"But basically, I'm trying to write a fun story."

"But basically, I'm trying to write a fun story."

Rob Walton, Canadian Athlete

65

"Do you think Revolutions are made with rose water?"

"Do you think Revolutions are made with rose water?"

Francis Bond Head, Canadian Statesman

65

"The most technologically efficient machine that man has ever invented is the book."

"The most technologically efficient machine that man has ever invented is the book."

Northrop Frye, Canadian Critic

Greatness, Machine, Man

64

"There's a civic nationalism in Britain and dozens of other countries."

"There's a civic nationalism in Britain and dozens of other countries."

Michael Ignatieff, Canadian Politician

Nation, Countries, Nationalism

62

"A proof is a proof. What kind of a proof? It's a proof. A proof is a proof. And when you have a good proof, it's because it's proven."

"A proof is a proof. What kind of a proof? It's a proof. A proof is a proof. And when you have a good proof, it's because it's proven."

Jean Chretien, Canadian Statesman

61

"To me, I was always just standing on the sidelines because up until issue 50, we were just doing Spawn. I wasn't recruiting anybody because I didn't have any books for people to work on."

"To me, I was always just standing on the sidelines because up until issue 50, we were just doing Spawn. I wasn't recruiting anybody because I didn't have any books for people to work on."

Todd McFarlane, Canadian Artist

Work, People, Books

60

"In this world you've just got to hope for the best and prepare for the worst and take whatever God sends."

"In this world you've just got to hope for the best and prepare for the worst and take whatever God sends."

Lucy Maud Montgomery, Canadian Educator

God, Hope, World

58

"It's a responsibility of the writer to get the reader out of the story somehow."

"It's a responsibility of the writer to get the reader out of the story somehow."

Michael Ondaatje, Canadian Author

Responsibility, Writer

56

"Being a lawyer in New York sucks because you're working eighty, sometimes a hundred hours a week."

"Being a lawyer in New York sucks because you're working eighty, sometimes a hundred hours a week."

David Steinberg, Canadian Comedian

55

"And I've been lucky in that I haven't had another job besides acting in the last five years."

"And I've been lucky in that I haven't had another job besides acting in the last five years."

Nicholas Lea, Canadian Actor

Acting, Job, Years

55

"Individuals have little opportunity to get elected to Parliament under the label of the government party... unless they are in good standing with the Prime Minister and pledged to be cooperative."

"Individuals have little opportunity to get elected to Parliament under the label of the government party... unless they are in good standing with the Prime Minister and pledged to be cooperative."

Stockwell Day, Canadian Politician

Government, Opportunity, Parliament, Party

55

"I don't like the American media - particularly Fox."

"I don't like the American media - particularly Fox."

Neil Young, Canadian Musician

American, Media

53

"My death will be caused by morphine, which I have deliberately taken with suicidal intent."

"My death will be caused by morphine, which I have deliberately taken with suicidal intent."

Alex Campbell, Canadian Politician

53

"A lot was happening, plus there were an enormous number of people in the industry that were going to conventions, so it was a pretty fun time. Also there was a lot of controversy and I was at the forefront of some of that."

"A lot was happening, plus there were an enormous number of people in the industry that were going to conventions, so it was a pretty fun time. Also there was a lot of controversy and I was at the forefront of some of that."

Todd McFarlane, Canadian Artist

Time, People, Controversy, Fun

52

"Innovation is this amazing intersection between someone's imagination and the reality in which they live. The problem is, many companies don't have great imagination, but their view of reality tells them that it's impossible to do what they imagine."

"Innovation is this amazing intersection between someone's imagination and the reality in which they live. The problem is, many companies don't have great imagination, but their view of reality tells them that it's impossible to do what they imagine."

Ron Johnson, Canadian Politician

Imagination, Innovation, Reality

52

"I had the idea that I should beat up every player I tangled with and nothing ever convinced me it wasn't a good idea."

"I had the idea that I should beat up every player I tangled with and nothing ever convinced me it wasn't a good idea."

Ted Lindsay, Canadian Athlete

Creativity, Idea, Nothing

51

"The Liberals are the flying saucers of politics. No one can make head nor tail of them and they never are seen twice in the same place."

"The Liberals are the flying saucers of politics. No one can make head nor tail of them and they never are seen twice in the same place."

John G. Diefenbaker, Canadian Statesman

Politics, Flying, Liberals

51

"When the franc was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it."

"When the franc was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it."

Gordon Sinclair, Canadian Journalist

Politics, Americans, Danger, Paris, Reward

51

"You talk about Japanese technocracy and you get radios."

"You talk about Japanese technocracy and you get radios."

Gordon Sinclair, Canadian Journalist

50

"When I decided to take writing seriously, I did a lot of reading and analyzing of the books I liked, and came up with what I thought were pretty sound plotting and structure basics."

"When I decided to take writing seriously, I did a lot of reading and analyzing of the books I liked, and came up with what I thought were pretty sound plotting and structure basics."

George Stephen, Canadian Businessman

Reading, Thought, Books, Pretty

49

"We must keep on trying to solve problems, one by one, stage by stage, if not on the basis of confidence and cooperation, at least on that of mutual toleration and self-interest."

"We must keep on trying to solve problems, one by one, stage by stage, if not on the basis of confidence and cooperation, at least on that of mutual toleration and self-interest."

Lester B. Pearson, Canadian Politician

Confidence, Cooperation, Problems, Self

49

"We all have these tendencies in us that could go this way or that. I think that's the real key in writing. To look at a character without judgment."

"We all have these tendencies in us that could go this way or that. I think that's the real key in writing. To look at a character without judgment."

Paul Haggis, Canadian Director

Character, Judgment, Key, Writing

48

"We have two tables on our airplane that are set up with the games."

"We have two tables on our airplane that are set up with the games."

Steve Yzerman, Canadian Athlete

48

"I first read science fiction in the old British Chum annual when I was about 12 years old."

"I first read science fiction in the old British Chum annual when I was about 12 years old."

A. E. van Vogt, Canadian Author

Creativity, Science, Fiction, First, Old

48

"Mostly this problem is contained in the fact that the US makes it so difficult for Canadians to get green cards (you heard it here), but if an American orchestra really wants a player, they have their ways."

"Mostly this problem is contained in the fact that the US makes it so difficult for Canadians to get green cards (you heard it here), but if an American orchestra really wants a player, they have their ways."

Lara St. John, Canadian Musician

American, Cards, Fact

48

"Somehow, the painting soothed him. It verified his fears. But it also informed him that fear was wonderful."

"Somehow, the painting soothed him. It verified his fears. But it also informed him that fear was wonderful."

Timothy Findley, Canadian Novelist

47

"I've developed a huge regard for Toyota for its environmental awareness, for its immense commitment to research and development in this field, and for its leadership in developing hybrids which others are now following."

"I've developed a huge regard for Toyota for its environmental awareness, for its immense commitment to research and development in this field, and for its leadership in developing hybrids which others are now following."

Maurice Strong, Canadian Businessman

Leadership, Environmental, Development, Awareness

47

"As a kid growing up in the little city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, I dreamed of one day playing in the NHL, but never did I expect it to be as much fun as it turned out to be."

"As a kid growing up in the little city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, I dreamed of one day playing in the NHL, but never did I expect it to be as much fun as it turned out to be."

Ron Francis, Canadian Coach

Dream, Day, Fun, Growingup

46

"It would be simply suicidal to French Canadians to form a party by themselves."

"It would be simply suicidal to French Canadians to form a party by themselves."

Wilfrid Laurier, Canadian Statesman

46

"You can never step into the same book twice, because you are different each time you read it."

"You can never step into the same book twice, because you are different each time you read it."

John Barton, Canadian Poet

46

"Extraordinary people survive under the most terrible circumstances and they become more extraordinary because of it."

"Extraordinary people survive under the most terrible circumstances and they become more extraordinary because of it."

Robertson Davies, Canadian Novelist

People, Circumstances

45

"A word after a word after a word is power."

"A word after a word after a word is power."

Margaret Atwood, Canadian Novelist

44

"We all agree on the necessity of compromise. We just can't agree on when it's necessary to compromise."

"We all agree on the necessity of compromise. We just can't agree on when it's necessary to compromise."

Larry Wall, Canadian Author

Compromise, Necessity

44

"New York was breaking my concentration and disintegrating my thoughts."

"New York was breaking my concentration and disintegrating my thoughts."

George Murray, Canadian Poet

Thought, Thoughts

43

"The scientific and technological discoveries that have made war so infinitely more terrible for us are part of the same process that has knit us all so much more closely together."

"The scientific and technological discoveries that have made war so infinitely more terrible for us are part of the same process that has knit us all so much more closely together."

Lester B. Pearson, Canadian Politician

43

"Many days I don't write any code at all, and some days I spend all day writing code."

"Many days I don't write any code at all, and some days I spend all day writing code."

Larry Wall, Canadian Author

Career, Day, Writing

42

"And I'm in favor of that because I have a gay son, who's a very successful theater designer."

"And I'm in favor of that because I have a gay son, who's a very successful theater designer."

Robert MacNeil, Canadian Journalist

Family, Son, Successful, Gay, Theater

42

"Before machines the only form of entertainment people really had was relationships."

"Before machines the only form of entertainment people really had was relationships."

Doug Coupland, Canadian Author

Relationship, People, Entertainment, Machines, Relationships

42

"Furthermore, neither of our research groups set out in search of RNA catalysis."

"Furthermore, neither of our research groups set out in search of RNA catalysis."

Sidney Altman, Canadian Scientist

41

"Anyone who tries to make a distinction between education and entertainment doesn't know the first thing about either."

"Anyone who tries to make a distinction between education and entertainment doesn't know the first thing about either."

Marshall McLuhan, Canadian Sociologist

Education, Entertainment, First

41

"It's all trotters in Sweden, so that's what's always caught my eye."

"It's all trotters in Sweden, so that's what's always caught my eye."

Mats Sundin, Canadian Athlete

Creativity, Eye

41

"I am utterly struck how, 300 years after his execution, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire."

"I am utterly struck how, 300 years after his execution, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire."

Peter Jennings, Canadian Journalist

Religion, Christianity, Execution, Years

41

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