Estate Planning

Breakthrough in the Tom Thomson Mystery

By Hull and Hull LLP

Tom Thomson inspired the formation of the Group of Seven, a group of artists who are counted amongst Canada's most famous. Thomson's artwork will forever stand as a part of Canadian culture; yet Thomson's name is remembered not only for his landscapes but also for the mysterious nature of his untimely death.

Born in 1877, Tom Thomson grew up near Owen Sound, Ontario. He had a deep appreciation for the arts and worked a variety of jobs, one of which was with Grip Ltd. a Toronto based photo engraving house. It was here that he met Arthur Lismer, Fred Varley, Franklin Carmichael and Franz Johnson, and J.E.H. MacDonald. Feeding off each other's artistic talents, these young men often planned weekend painting trips to the countryside around Toronto. Fuelled by Thomson's death, together with A.Y. Jackson and Lawren Harris, these men formed the Group of Seven, becoming Canada's first national school of painting.

In 1917, Thomson's body was found floating in Canoe Lake in Algonquin Park – the cause of death was listed as ‘accidental drowning' (the article from The Globe, dated Friday July 13, 1917, reporting his disappearance, can be seen here). Despite this listing, the doctor who examined Thomson indicated that he had suffered bruising on his right temple and bleeding from his right ear. His death quickly became one of Canada's greatest mysteries. 

Although originally buried near Canoe Lake the body was allegedly exhumed and moved to the family plot near Owen Sound at the request of the family. In 1956 four men dug up a skeleton at the Canoe Lake Cemetery. The medical field and media at the time reported that the skeleton belonged to a young aboriginal man. It has taken nearly 60 years since the discovery of the skeleton, but as recently reported in the Globe and Mail, scientists have been able to conclusively identify the skeleton as having belonged to Tom Thomson.

While it seems that the full mystery hasn't been solved, this break may shed some light on the situation and will hopefully lead to the closing of one of Canada's most notorious cases.

Thanks for Reading. Have a great weekend.

Nadia Harasymowycz

For more information regarding Tom Thomson and his art, see here.

Full post as published by Toronto Estate Law Blog on October 08, 2010 (boomark / email).