West Wind: A Vision of Tom Thomson

What is it about Tom Thomson's life, art and death that haunt us still, that draws thousands to his cairn at Canoe Lake each summer and propels his little sketches to the stratosphere of the Canadian art market? West Wind: The Vision of Tom Thomson unravels many of the mysteries of this brilliant, beloved artist.

Comfortable in the woods, Thomson led his colleagues - future members of the Group of Seven - north, to Algonquin Park, where they experimented in painting rivers, lakes, trees and skies in a bold new way, with raw and vibrant colours.

On July 8, 1917, just as he was reaching ascendancy in his craft, Tom Thomson paddled across Canoe Lake and disappeared. His dead body was found floating in the lake 8 days later. The cause of his death remains a mystery.