Vaughan McMichael Canadian Art Collection Expansion | ?m | 2s | MCAC | Hariri Pontarini

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NEWS RELEASE

Ontario Investing Up to $50 Million to Expand the McMichael Canadian Art Collection​

Provincial investment will support Canadian heritage and culture
April 08, 2025
Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming
KLEINBURG — The Ontario government is investing up to $50 million over three years to update and expand the McMichael Canadian Art Collection (McMichael) facility and grounds in Kleinburg. This capital funding will ensure one of the country’s largest collections of Canadian and Indigenous art will be ready to welcome and inspire visitors of all ages for generations to come.
“The McMichael Canadian Art Collection celebrates the Canadian and Indigenous experience, with our culture, history and heritage expressed through art,” said Stan Cho, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. “Our government’s investment will help McMichael modernize and grow, protect the gallery’s $750 million collection and secure the institution’s status as a world class cultural tourism attraction for generations to come. Now more than ever, it’s important that we support Canadian culture and the institutions that preserve and promote our shared history and collective identity.”
Ontario’s capital investment in the McMichael is the first in 43 years. It will support much-needed repairs and upgrades to the 70-year-old building, increasing the capacity for its existing programs, meetings and special events and ensuring it remains a safe and must-visit destination for arts and culture for years to come.
“All of us at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection are deeply inspired by the Province of Ontario’s visionary support of our project and it has been a true pleasure to work with them as we have moved toward this moment,” said Sarah Milroy, Executive Director and Chief Curator at McMichael. “In the coming years, we will be restoring and revitalizing this national treasure, ensuring its long-term sustainability and prosperity for the benefit of all Canadians. In a time when our nation seeks spaces to come together, the McMichael is that place – a place to share our stories, embrace our differences and celebrate the connections between us.”
The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is now the largest publicly funded art gallery that focuses exclusively on Canadian and Indigenous art, with a permanent collection of more than 7,000 artworks by Tom Thomson, the Group of Seven and their contemporaries, as well as First Nations, Métis, Inuit and contemporary artists who have contributed to the development of the art of Canada. The museum provides visitors with a visual experience of the country’s rich history, exhibiting the diverse perspectives of Canadians and Indigenous peoples.
“With increasing attacks on Canadian sovereignty from President Trump, now is exactly the right time to double down on investments that promote Canadian symbols, values, and our core identity. As the MPP for King and Vaughan I am proud to have promised and now delivered this investment so that we can preserve the McMichael legacy for future generations,” said Stephen Lecce, Member of Provincial Parliament for King-Vaughan. “This historic investment marks a new chapter for the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, the home of the Group of Seven, as we reimagine and renew this historic institution and create a space that inspires learning, creativity, and patriotism."

Quick Facts​

  • Ontario’s capital investment is contingent on matching funding from the federal government and private donations.
  • On March 3, 2025, the Government of Canada announced $25 million in support of McMichael’s redevelopment through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program.
  • The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is an agency of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, with ongoing support from the ministry and the McMichael Canadian Art Foundation.
  • In 1965, Robert and Signe McMichael offered to donate their collection – as well as their home and land – to the Province of Ontario. Eight months later, on July 8, 1966, the “McMichael Conservation Collection of Art” officially opened to the public.
  • Earlier this year, McMichael unveiled its 2025 exhibition schedule, with highlights including vibrant drawings from the Arctic community of Kinngait (formerly Cape Dorset), to the bridges and canals of Venice a century ago as seen through the eyes of Canadian artist James Wilson Morrice, to the contemporary explorations of Toronto-based artists Derek Sullivan and Sandra Brewster.

Quotes​

"Standing up for Canada’s cultural heritage has perhaps never been more important than it is today. That is why this important capital investment of $50 million will provide McMichael with the tools they need to continue conserving and promoting Canadian and Indigenous artists and their works for years to come."
- Peter Bethlenfalvy
Minister of Finance
"In recent years, the team at the McMichael has achieved an extraordinary transformation, presenting groundbreaking exhibitions, publishing award-winning books and sharing our exhibitions of Canadian art with our sister museums across the country. Meanwhile, our education programs and community outreach are best-in-class, connecting with a wide range of audiences from youth in under-resourced schools, to seniors with Alzheimer’s and those with disabilities. Thanks to this extraordinary investment from the Province of Ontario, our transformed facility will serve those communities better than ever."
- Andrew Pringle
Chair, McMichael Board of Trustees
 
Towered said:
Never been here. Worth seeing?
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Whaaaaaaaaaaat?!?! Get your booty up there! Wait a couple of weeks until it gets a bit more naturey outside though, and its naturish setting is half of the pleasure of the place. And yeah, there's lots of worthwhile art to experience too.

I'll look forward to seeing what kind of addition they have in store for us, and how it will be incorporated into the existing building. Add one more (two-level) major gallery building at the north end so that you go further before turning around to start making your way toward the entrance (and gift shop, exit by the gift shop, it is such a nice one...) area again? Or maybe the current configuration of a long snaking path in before the long snaking path out is long enough now, and any new addition could be an alternate path that starts from the entry area? Whatever gets added, it will have to fit the plateau-top site's topography, and I assume that any new building will be further back from the 'stable top of bank', which the older building definitely is not.

(I expect were they just starting to build the first gallery there now, it would never be allowed to be built right into the rim of the ravine the way the existing one is, as I don't think the Conservation Authority allows exceptions for major art galleries/tourist attractions...)

42
 
interchange42 said:
Whaaaaaaaaaaat?!?! Get your booty up there! Wait a couple of weeks until it gets a bit more naturey outside though, and its naturish setting is half of the pleasure of the place. And yeah, there's lots of worthwhile art to experience too.

I'll look forward to seeing what kind of addition they have in store for us, and how it will be incorporated into the existing building. Add one more (two-level) major gallery building at the north end so that you go further before turning around to start making your way toward the entrance (and gift shop, exit by the gift shop, it is such a nice one...) area again? Or maybe the current configuration of a long snaking path in before the long snaking path out is long enough now, and any new addition could be an alternate path that starts from the entry area? Whatever gets added, it will have to fit the plateau-top site's topography, and I assume that any new building will be further back from the 'stable top of bank', which the older building definitely is not.

(I expect were they just starting to build the first gallery there now, it would never be allowed to be built right into the rim of the ravine the way the existing one is, as I don't think the Conservation Authority allows exceptions for major art galleries/tourist attractions...)

42
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I am thinking something Integral House-ish would be perfect. Maybe a cross between that and the built form of Sisters of St. Joseph.

AoD
 
Great news! I wonder if a separate gallery in the central city would be practical as there is so much space available?! For example West House for 2-3 years?
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
Somehow this article by @AlexBozikovic didn't get posted:

www.theglobeandmail.com

McMichael Canadian Art Collection gets $25-million in federal funding to help with major renovations

The work will enlarge gallery spaces, upgrade art-handling facilities and improve accessibility
www.theglobeandmail.com www.theglobeandmail.com

AoD
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Probably missed just because the news has been so vague about the buildings themselves so far!
AlvinofDiaspar said:
I am thinking something Integral House-ish would be perfect. Maybe a cross between that and the built form of Sisters of St. Joseph.

AoD
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Something along those lines would be amazing, so no complaints from me should Shim Sutcliffe get the nod... and as also mentioned above, I'd trust Siamak Hariri here too! As things are better in threes, let's see as well what Patkau could do here...

...but ultimately that's too short a list, and I imagine there are quite a number of architectural firms that would love this commission. I'm not sure if $150 million is enough for something stunning, especially as around a third of that number is estimated for renovations of the existing buildings, but something that is complementary of the setting and existing buildings would build nicely on the vibe here.

42
 
My Mother and I where having a discussion about this gallery where she was surprised to learn it still existed. As she used to visit this place regularly while dragging me along in the latter part of last century (at the risk of exposing my age) and the location was referred to as Kleinburg. Subsequently she was excited to hear what they have installed for this place in the expansion. It's certainly a gem worth keeping and investing in filled with warm memories, IMO.
 
The grounds are beautiful and the collection and special exhibitions are very good.

The biggest problem is the absolutely awful access for anyone without a car. Kleinburg has become another popular weekend day trip destination (the gallery only a part of it), so traffic has gotten worse as well. But it’s an especially affluent part of Vaughan, so you’ll never get decent transit.

There were some weekend coach bus trips from Downtown Toronto in the past; I don’t know if that’s still a thing.
 
ShonTron said:
The grounds are beautiful and the collection and special exhibitions are very good.

The biggest problem is the absolutely awful access for anyone without a car. Kleinburg has become another popular weekend day trip destination (the gallery only a part of it), so traffic has gotten worse as well. But it’s an especially affluent part of Vaughan, so you’ll never get decent transit.

There were some weekend coach bus trips from Downtown Toronto in the past; I don’t know if that’s still a thing.
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The Art Bus used to run from downtown Toronto. But that ceased a year or two ago. Now it's an uber from Vaughan Station on Line 1. Still worth going to,. Bring a picnic if it's a nice day.
 
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