The Group of Seven did some very good work by introducing the spectacular beauty of the Canadian wilderness to the world. We’ve got so much here that we really should be giving to everyone else. Canada is majestic and inspiring in a way that very few other countries can be, first because of the vast expanse of land we have, and second because we have seasonal changes that permit so much variation in our landscapes.

I’ve traveled in America – from Central America (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Belize) and in different parts of the United States – but I have to say that Canada has at least as much natural beauty as any of these places. Of course, we don’t have the palm trees, but we have the spectacular sunsets.

The snow we get is something even more stunningly different. Rainforests honestly can’t compare. (And, on a Catholic note, snow is a wonderful image of purity and innocence – as long the analogy isn’t taken as far as Luther took it…) From an artistic point of view, the snow gives us so much potential, and the Group of Seven just began to explore it. The shadow of a tree on snow at dawn is unlike any other image – snow can’t be replaced even by sand; it doesn’t have the same glow, not to mention the different textures and the almost infinitely different ways in which it can cling and cover the surroundings.
There’s no reason why we shouldn’t share this beauty that God has given us.