The Canadian Press Archives | National Treasures

Exhibition Dates: June 20 – July 27, 2002 

This exhibition constitutes the first major show of images from the Canadian Press since the national news wire opened its doors eighty-five years ago. The unique selection of photographs, culled from thousands of images in the CP Picture Archive, provides a lasting document of the way in which Canadians live. These are the photographs that many Canadians visualize when they think of the news events that have shaped their country, from politics, to sports, to entertainment and celebrities, they provide a dramatic visual record of the last four decades in the lives of Canadians, both public and private.

Although they have been published worldwide, these iconic images will be offered for the first time as a limited edition of signed photographs. We will also be displaying a select group of vintage photographs. Included in the exhibition are images by Rene Pierre Allain, Doug Ball, Ian Blackmore, Jacques Boissinot, Peter Bregg, Andy Clark, Tim Clark, Fred Chartrand, Fred Greenslade, Tom Hanson, Shaney Komulainen, Russell Mant, Peter Martin, Chuck Mitchell, Denis Paquin, Ron Poling, Guy Shulhan, and Adrian Wyld.

It is hard to imagine how we would relate to Canada’s history without our collective memory of the image of Pierre Trudeau’s pirouette at Buckingham Palace; or of the standoff between a Native protester and a soldier at Oka; or of Stanfield fumbling a football pass; or of the silhouette of Terry Fox against the lights of his entourage; or of Wayne Gretzky’s farewell skate around the ice. The images themselves bear the weight of the history they represent. They serve as a reminder of the changing cultural landscape of our country, and as a connection to the poignant and powerful moments that have facilitated that change.