Canada: The Foundations of Its Future

Stephen Leacock (1869-1944) was a Canadian author. Born in England, his family moved to Canada when he was six years old. The family settled in Sutton, Ontario on the south shore of Lake Simcoe. A bright student, he went to Upper Canada College where he was top of his class. After a brief stint at teaching (which he loathed) he eventually went on to become chair of the Department of Economics and Political Science at McGill University. Although he wrote several books on these august subjects, he is best known for his light satirical and humorous writing, in particular, "Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town". (Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature)

Charles William Jefferys (August 25, 1869—October 8, 1951) was a Canadian painter, illustrator, author, and teacher best known as a historical illustrator.

Born in Rochester, England, Jefferys arrived in Toronto, Ontario (after living in Philadelphia and Hamilton, Ontario) with his family around 1880. After attending school, he apprenticed with the york, Lithography Company from 1885 to 1890. From 1889 to 1892 he worked for the Toronto Globe as an illustrator and artist. From 1893 to 1901, he worked for the New York Herald. Returning to Toronto, he became a magazine and book illustrator. Along with Ivor Lewis and other artists, Jefferys co-founded the Graphic Arts Club (later named the Canadian Society of Graphic Art), which by the 1940s became the primary artists' group in Canada. As well, from 1912 to 1939 he taught painting and drawing in the Department of Architecture at the University of Toronto.--Wikipedia.

Frederick H. Varley (1881-1969) was a Canadian artist. Varley was born in Sheffield, England and received his art training in Europe. He met Arthur Lismer in school who persuaded him to come to Canada in 1912. There he obtained a reputation as a highly skilled, if somewhat eccentric portrait artist. In 1918, he enlisted in the army where he was employed as a war artist. The war deeply affected him which moved him to paint some his most poignant work. He is famous for his painting "For What?", a dark scene of death and devastation. On his return to Canada, he became one of the founding members of the Group of Seven. Although he painted some landscapes, he was much more comfortable painting people than trees. (Library and Archives Canada)