Wilfrid Laurier

Sir Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier GCMG, PC, KC (20 November 1841 – 17 February 1919) was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada, in office from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911.

About

 * This was a leader who listened to all sides, perhaps too much.
 * Chapter 4 Part 7 of Canadian History: Post-Confederation by John Douglas Belshaw
 * Said by Theodore Roosevelt in a letter before his death in 1919 [citation needed].


 * It was Prime Minister Laurier who said of Canada's differing components: "I want the marble to remain the marble; I want the granite to remain the granite; I want the oak to remain the oak." This has been the Canadian way. As a result, Canadians have helped to teach the world, as Governor-General Massey once said, that the "toleration of differences is the measure of civilization." Today, more than ever before, we need to apply that understanding to the whole range of world affairs. And to begin with, we must apply it to our dealings with one another.
 * Richard Nixon; Address to a Joint Meeting of the Canadian Parliament Online, The American Presidency Project; 14 April 1972

Misattributed

 * First of all we must insist that the immigrant that comes here is willing to become a Canadian and is willing to assimilate our ways, he should be treated on equal grounds and it would be shameful to discriminate against such a person for reasons of their beliefs or the place of birth or origin. But it is the responsibility of that person to become a Canadian in all aspects of life, nothing else but a Canadian. There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says that he is a Canadian, but tries to impose his customs and habits upon us, is not a Canadian. We have room for only one flag, the Canadian flag. There is room for only two languages here, English and French. And we have room for loyalty, but only one, loyalty to the Canadian people. We won’t accept anyone, I’m saying anyone, who will try to impose his religion or his customs on us.
 * allegedly said in 1907 according to 13 March 2013 article by Michael Eugenio of the Herald. The quote was also used 8 December 2015 by David Kendrick in Guelph Mercury
 * 3 March 2017 report by Melissa Martin of Winnipeg Free Press described as having been wrongly attributed for at least 7 years, based on a Teddy Roosevelt quote