From the Archives

Robert and Signe McMichael 

The City of Vaughan’s archives house more than 600 collections dating from the early 1700s to the present day. Within these files are the stories of how Vaughan evolved from the traditional territories of the First Peoples of Turtle Island to the bustling city it has become. 

Let’s look back at our history and share the stories of the people, places and moments that helped shape the city we know today. This month’s feature is on Robert and Signe McMichael. 

Robert McMichael attended Humberside Collegiate Institute in the 1930’s where he founded the Canadian High News (now known as the internet-based publication, Tiny Giant Magazine). The publication was widely read by high school students in Southern Ontario. He went on to serve in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War, and, once he returned home to Toronto, he opened a studio specializing in wedding photography.

Signe Sorenson was born in Denmark in 1921 and moved to Canada in 1927 with her father following the death of her mother. She served in the communications branch of the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War and then pursued a career in media, working at radio stations in Edmonton and Vancouver before moving to Toronto.

Robert and Signe met in Toronto and married in 1949. The couple dreamed of owning a home in the countryside. In 1952, they purchased 10 acres of land in Kleinburg on Lot 23, Concession 8 (present day Kipling Avenue, south of Elgin Mills Road). A local architect named Leo Venchiarutti designed the structure of the McMichael’s original log cabin in 1954, as well as later additions in 1963, 1967, 1969 and 1972.

As fans of Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven’s depictions of the natural world, the McMichaels started collecting these works and decorating their home with them. By 1965, their collection had grown to more than 190 paintings, some bought, and others donated by benefactors and the artists themselves. Hundreds of people visited the private gallery, indicating the growing importance of the collection. The same year, the McMichaels offered to donate the collection, as well as their home and land, to the Province of Ontario. In 1966, the McMichael Conservation Collection of Art (present day McMichael Canadian Art Collection) officially opened in Kleinburg Village.

Over time, the gallery's mission expanded to include contemporary art, which caused some controversy in the early 1990s and impacted the McMichael's influence on the collection. Robert and Signe objected to the change in their original mandate and, in 1995, sued the Province of Ontario. In 2000, the provincial government passed legislation to restore the couple's original vision for the gallery. 

Since its opening, the collection has significantly expanded from the original 194 works to more than 5,000 today. The initial log cabin has been expanded into the largest publicly funded art gallery in Canada that focuses exclusively on Canadian and Indigenous art, with more than 100,000 visitors annually. Land was also set aside for the Artists’ Cemetery, which later became the resting place for six members of the Group of Seven, and Robert and Signe McMichael.

VIEW VAUGHAN'S ARCHIVES ONLINE!

Looking for more information about the history of Vaughan? The City's Archival Collection is on digital display for all to explore! The below galleries are available in the City's online gallery on Flickr: 

• Archival Awareness
• Early Churches of Vaughan
• Early Communities of Vaughan
• Early Pioneers of Vaughan 
• Families in Arms
• From Township to City: The Evolution of Vaughan
• Historical Families of Vaughan
• Historical Photography
• Recollections of Rural Vaughan
• The Mary Wood Collection
• The Way We Were: Representations of Vaughan's Past
• Vaughan’s Forgotten Heroes 
• Vaughan Lodge Fonds
• Vaughan Working Environments
• Vaughan Through the Ages: Medicine, Music and Sports and Recreation
• And more! 

A personal Flickr account is not required to access the City's online gallery, which contains only a small selection of the full archives collection. If you are looking for a particular image, original file, primary source record or more, please visit the Archival Database or contact the City by calling 905-832-2281 or emailing archives@vaughan.ca. 

By managing and preserving both City and community records, the City’s Enterprise Information Management Services team ensures that Vaughan's rich and varied history will continue to be available for future generations. Learn more at vaughan.ca/archives.

For the latest updates, subscribe to Vaughan News and follow the official corporate channels on X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.