In the quiet churchyard of Historic Leith Church, northeast of Owen Sound, Ontario, a poignant winter scene unfolds. At the grave of Tom Thomson, Canada's most celebrated painter, a small cluster of paintbrushes protrudes through the snow like frozen flowers—a tribute from visiting artists to a life and legacy cut tragically short.
A Sacred Site and an Artistic Pilgrimage
The burial plot holds more than just Thomson. It is the final resting place for three: the painter himself, his infant brother James Brodie Thomson, and his maternal grandfather Kenneth Mathison. The graves face the rising sun, a traditional orientation. In warmer months, the base of the stone is often adorned with painted rocks, coins, and pebbles—some possibly from Canoe Lake in Algonquin Park, where Thomson died under mysterious circumstances in the summer of 1917. His passing has since evolved from a mystery into a foundational piece of Canadian wilderness lore.
A few steps away stands the simple church, built in 1865 as the Auld Kirk. Originally a plain glass pane in keeping with austere Presbyterian design, the circular window above the pulpit now holds a remarkable piece of stained glass. This year, that very window graces the National Post's Christmas front page, continuing the paper's festive tradition of showcasing notable Canadian stained glass artworks.
The "Holy Family" Window: Art, Memory, and Misinterpretation
The window, known to the church's keepers as the "Holy Family" window, has a fame that extends beyond its proximity to Thomson's grave. It was once featured as a 52-cent Christmas stamp by Canada Post in 1997, titled "Nativity Scene." However, as art enthusiasts note, the depiction is not a traditional nativity. The figure of Jesus is not a newborn but a standing child with a full head of hair, more reminiscent of the "Finding in the Temple" than the manger scene.
The window's own story is one of memory and loss. It was donated in 1952 to what was then Leith United Church by Laura Webster of Toronto. She gave it in memory of her daughter, Frances Pauline Webster, who died at the age of 23. The design was created by prominent Canadian artist Ellen Simon and rendered in stained glass by her frequent collaborator, Yvonne Williams. Both women were known for their work on numerous church projects across the country.
A Legacy Cast in Light and Landscape
The window looks northwest, toward the prevailing winds off Georgian Bay. Directly across the road lies the farm where Tom Thomson grew up, now an equestrian centre. This geographic and spiritual connection ties the artist's memory indelibly to the place.
The National Post's tradition has previously highlighted other significant windows, such as the 2024 feature on stained glass from St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in Halifax, which survived the 1917 Halifax Explosion, and a 2006 story on Christ Church Anglican in Meaford, Ont., whose windows were assembled from shards collected from European churches damaged in the Second World War.
The "Holy Family" window at Historic Leith Church stands as a dual tribute. It is a sacred memorial to a young woman, crafted by skilled Canadian artists, and it exists in perpetual dialogue with the legacy of the nation's greatest painter, who rests just outside. In this quiet corner of Ontario, art, faith, and history are forever intertwined, casting their collective light across the snowy landscape and deep into the Canadian cultural imagination.
