I’ve had the good fortune to see large numbers of paintings by the Group of Seven up close. Most recently, in the spring of this year, while in Vancouver on personal business, by chance I saw a splendid display at the Vancouver Art Gallery. The original members were all represented, but it was disappointing no Tom Thomson paintings were included. Peripheral to the exhibit were hung some Emily Carr works. Interestingly, while there, I observed some workmen installing a large statue of Lawren Harris on the gallery grounds. A couple of years ago the Greater Victoria Art Gallery hung a huge collection of Group of Seven works. This exhibition was fabulous! Seeing their paintings in books is impressive enough, but even the best colour plates don’t come close to actually standing before large landscape impressions vibrantly executed in the individual styles of Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. MacDonald, et al. The first times I’d seen big quantities of their colourful creations were in the early eighties at the Royal Ontario Art Gallery and at the McMichael Conservation Collection of Art. Probably if not for the foresight of Robert and Signe McMichael, in amassing a great collection of Canadian art, the Group of Seven’s path to success would have taken some different avenues. Most likely the chances to see exhibitions of their work for the general population would have occured more infrequently. I am grateful for having had these opportunities. Signe McMichael passed away at the age of eighty-six in Toronto East General Hospital, the evening of Wednesday, July 4, 2007. Her husband predeceased her. Both had received the Order of Ontario in 2001. David Skrypnyk July 9, 2007