A quiet nation unless there is a hockey game scheduled on Saturday night, Canada is seldom recognized for its prowess at the arts. Especially when it sits above a nation on a map that has gained global renown for its ability to generate literature, movies, and anything that pertains to the storytelling craft. Nevertheless, beneath all the snow that has a habit of burying the fields of the Great White North as early as October, there lingers, endures a longstanding literary tradition that has given rise to greats such as Margaret Atwood and Alice Munro. And through the ice. Through the thaw. Its roots continue to spread, finding their way into the narrative of cinema.

5. David Hayter

Born and raised in Santa Monica by two Canadian parents, David Hayter enrolled at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute before transferring to Ryerson University in Toronto. Primarily known for his voice-acting in video games, Hayter penned his first script at the turn of the century in what would become the first live action movie adaption of "X-Men". Hired again to write the sequel "X-2", Hayter helped propel the renowned Marvel Franchise to promising heights before its cinematic future briefly fell into the disastrous hands of Brett Ratner.

4. Sarah Polley

Starting her film career as an actress, Sarah Polley finally decided to step behind the camera in 1999 when she wrote and directed her first film "Don't Think Twice". However, Polley rose to acclaim in 2006 for her work in "Away From Her", a film based off a short-story published in The New Yorker by Alice Munro chronicling how a couple's marriage is tested by the onset of Alzheimer's Disease. Stealing the top spot for the Drama genre on Rotten Tomatoes, while hailed by numerous critics as one of the best films of 2007, Polley's efforts helped garner her an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.

3. Terri Tatchell

A graduate of Vancouver Film School, Terri Tacthell rose to prominence in 2009 when she teamed up with fellow VFS alumni and husband Neill Blomkamp to conceive the Science Fiction hit "District 9". Dubbed as one of the top independent films of the year by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, Tatchell's mastery of cinematic craft resulted in an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. She is also responsible for authoring the script for "Chappie".

2. Emma Donaghue

Originally born in and raised in Ireland, Emma Donaghue moved to Canada in 1998 where she became a citizen six years later. Primarily known for her novels, Donaghue rose to literary acclaim in 2010 when her book "Room" was shortlisted for a Man Booker Prize. Attracting attention of director Lenny Abrahamson with her novelistic prowess, the former Dublin native soon find herself making waves in Hollywood when she was asked to adapt "Room" into a screenplay. A script that placed the Donaghue's name in the ballots for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and paved the way for Brie Larson to win her first Oscar.

1. Paul Haggis

A native of London, Ontario where the aforementioned Emma Donaghue currently resides, Paul Haggis garnered attention in 2004 for his tour-de-force ensemble drama "Crash". Stealing the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture. That same year, Haggis also came close to walking away with the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on Clint Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby". Other successful scripts Haggis is renown for authoring include "Letters from Iwo Jima", "Flags of Our Fathers", and "Casino Royale"