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Famous
Canadians remember Pierre Berton...
“Pierre
Berton gave us our story. He knew what we had to know about
ourselves.”
—Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson (from The National
Post, Dec. 8, 2004
“His
passing silences a great Canadian voice, but his work will
live on to enrich the lives of Canadians for generations to
come. His ability to chronicle the life and times of our great
nation was without peer. His love of Canada, its people and
its history, and his personal attachment to the North [were]
vividly expressed in his numerous books and writings as a
journalist."
—Prime Minister Paul Martin (from The Globe and
Mail, Dec. 1, 2004)
“Fifty people could be ripping up the living room, dancing
to beat the band, and there he would be, in his office, doing
his own two-fingered dance. A deadline was a deadline and nothing
would pry him away. No one bothered to try. When his work was
finished to his liking, he would appear and leap right in. He
never whined about the hours he spent writing; it was never
a chore. His labour was his love.”
—Vicki Gabereau, The Globe and Mail, Dec. 4,
2004
“…the
Maclean’s gang became an extension of his own beloved
family.”
—June Callwood (from The Toronto Star, Dec.
8, 2004)
"[He
was] such an important writer in the days when there weren't
any. He was also an enormously generous man."
—Alice Munro (from The Globe and Mail, Dec.
1, 2004)
"We
always got along fine. He and I knew that I was the better
writer, but he was the more successful one, so we split it
on that basis."
—Farley Mowat (from The Globe and Mail, Dec.
1, 2004)
“Pierre
was simply a human dynamo in his effort to tell the stories
of Canada, converting the power of his Smith-Corona into a
highly successful popularization of Canadian history.”
—Elsa Franklin, at A Celebration of Pierre Berton (from
The Toronto Star, Dec. 8, 2004)
“Pierre
Berton understood how compelling our history is, and more
importantly, was able to bring it to life and share that fascination
with all Canadians. He was a true storyteller, and I am proud
to have known and worked with him. Everyone at Random House
of Canada is deeply saddened by this loss, and grateful to
have his incredible legacy of fifty books, along with our
special memories of him. Our hearts and sympathies go out
to Pierre’s family and close friends. He will be deeply
missed, but certainly never forgotten.”
—John Neale, Chairman and CEO of Random House of Canada
(from the press release)
“If
my father were here, he’d say, ‘Boy, this thing
is dragging on. When do we get to the drinks?’”
—Paul Berton, at A Celebration of Pierre Berton (from
The National Post, Dec. 8, 2004)
“It
was not so much the subject matter of these volumes that made
them significant, as Berton’s triumph in claiming the
attention of readers across the country. More than the political
struggles of Canadian nationalists, this triumph made the
idea of a Canadian culture a convincing reality. The books
made Canadians believe they shared a historical narrative
with depth and drama”
— Philip Marchand, The Toronto Star |
