With God Nothing Is Impossible: A Canadian Life

Ellen Pilon is a library assistant in the Patrick Power Library at Saint
Mary’s University in Halifax.

Murray Dryden, father of well-known hockey players Ken and Dave Dryden, published an earlier book about his sons, Playing the Shots at Both Ends. With God Nothing Is Impossible is Murray Dryden’s autobiography and the story of his Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW) charity program, which he and his wife founded in 1970. Despite the title, the book is not overtly religious and does not aim to preach. Dryden is obviously a religious man — his writing is peppered with religious language — but religion does not intrude or occupy a significant place at the expense of his story. In his Foreword, Kenneth Bagnell notes that “Murray Dryden’s life has been shaped and directed by a set of values that puts others first.” This is what emerges in the autobiography and culminates in the SCAW program.

The story begins with flashes of early memories, then progresses to lengthy anecdotes as Dryden refers to his meticulously kept diaries. Born in 1911 and raised in Manitoba, Dryden experienced the Depression and World War II. His work history is diverse: he was a hosiery salesman, a self-employed salesman of plant food, a salesman for Dryson Manufacturing and Canadian Sanitary; he sold cosmetics, set up Aquella dealerships, joined Construction Supplies Ltd., and began Christmas tree farming. His story is the story of many young Canadians growing up in the ‘20s.

The book is copiously illustrated with photographs of Dryden’s keepsakes. He must have saved every paper related to all his business experiences. All his business cards appear, labels of some of his products, the telegram confirming his engagement, pictures of his different houses, and many, many pictures of his relatives. Dryden’s story of his pre-war years is the portrait of an era told in painstaking detail. The post-war years, a little over half the book, are a little less interesting. Dryden tends to ramble. The chapter “Viewpoints” consists of ten pages of very brief comments on 35 topics ranging from one-liners on morality to opinions on capitalism, standing ovations, affluence, and swimming. The last four chapters concern the SCAW program, including a section describing some of the spectacular places he has seen on his travels and a peculiar chapter on travel which seems to be a mishmash of irritations and complaints.

Although this is a long book, and rather stiff and awkward in places, Murray Dryden’s story is an interesting portrait of an admirable man with unbounded personal initiative.