Press Release

June 23, 2004
A Canadian Legend And A Canadian Icon: Tom Thomson and The Canoe

Considered one of the most important and influential early Canadian Artists, Tom Thomson (1877-1917) was born on a farm near Claremont, west of Whitby in Pickering Township. His grandparents were Scottish and immigrated to Canada in the 1830s. His father, John Thomson (1840-1930) was born in Whitby, Ontario and attended the Whitby Grammar School.

On July 8, 1917, Tom Thomson set out on Canoe Lake in Algonquin Park and a week later his body was discovered. To this day his tragic drowning remains a mystery, as he was an expert canoeist, experienced woodsman, and worked as a wilderness guide in Algonquin Park.

News of his death devastated his friends in The Group of Seven as indicated by A.Y. Jackson when he wrote of his loss: “Without Tom, the north country seems a desolation of bush and rock. He was the guide, the interpreter, and we the guests, partaking of his hospitality so generously given.”

Thomson’s painting of “The Canoe” (painted in the spring or fall of 1912) has been published in print by Northland Art Company (NAC) and is available through Authorized NAC Dealers across Canada. To view other images by Tom Thomson, visit Northland’s web site at www.northlandart.com.

For more information, contact Northland Art Company at 905-294-1104; toll free 1-866-208-7244 or email us at art@northlandart.com.

Contact:
Deborah J. Bremner
Northland Art Company
60 Bullock Drive, Unit 4
Markham, ON
L3P 3P2
Phone: 905-294-1104 or 1-866-208-7244
Fax: 905-201-6457
Email: art@northlandart.com
http://www.northlandart.com