The Group of Seven captured hundreds of “moments” on canvas, wood panels and sketchbooks, but they didn’t capture them all.
Algoma is inextricably connected to the Group of Seven, Canada's most revered group of landscape artists. Art historians have long acknowledged the role Algoma and the North Shore of Lake Superior played in their formation. Following World War I, they visited Algoma to paint her wilderness woods and waters, and in the process helped to change the course of Canadian art.
"No country can be a great nation until it has great art." – Lawren Harris, Canadian Group of Seven member.
Throughout Algoma, we still encounter scenes and situations that mirror the experience of the Group of Seven – places they surely would have painted if they’d had the opportunity. The discovery of such places constitutes a Group of Seven (G7) moment.
My Group of Seven Moments
My wife Francine and I live in the Wawa area and have been exploring the Algoma landscape for decades. We’ve always been aware of the Group of Seven, but with the recent focus on their work, we are experiencing a new appreciation for their art, and for the land they painted.
One sure way to harvest G7 moments is to travel the Grand Algoma Drive. This spectacular 616-km circle tour takes you along the Lake Superior coastline, then inland through the heart of Algoma.
Along the route, new interpretive panels showcase Group of Seven Moments, on either the actual location of a Group of Seven painting site or a location where you can connect with the Group’s cultural history.
We have seen some of the new interpretive panels and highly recommend this to visitors, but this time we decide to travel the full Grand Algoma Drive to see what other Group of Seven moments we can discover.
MOMENT #1
MOMENT #2
MOMENT #3
MOMENT #4
At Sault Ste. Marie, Lake Superior drains into the St. Mary’s River before widening into the North Channel of Lake Huron. East of the Sault, tracts of agricultural land are cradled within a rolling landscape, but shortly after turning north up Highway 129 at Thessalon, the road winds around hardwood hills and granite-rimmed lakes.
MOMENT #5
MOMENT #6
MOMENT #7
It is not difficult to find Group of Seven moments in Algoma. In a land that looks much as it did 100 years ago, they rest deep within the wilderness or right along the highway – fleeting, ever-changing, and infinite.
How to do this trip
Along the Grand Algoma Drive, there are many beautiful natural attractions, excellent places to stay, eateries, shops, historic and cultural sites and incredible photo opportunities. I would recommend a minimum of two days to create and experience your own G7 moments.
Group of Seven Attractions in Algoma
Moments of Algoma – Learn about the Group of Seven’s paintings in Algoma and locations of interpretive panels.
Art Gallery of Algoma – Exhibits by Group of Seven and local artists.
Agawa Canyon Tour Train – This one-day rail excursion takes you into the same stunning wilderness were members of Group of Seven lived and worked nearly 100 years ago.
Grand Algoma Drive Tourism Information
Places to Stay, Eat and Visit - Algoma Country Regional Tourism
