Government of Canada honours national historic significance of David Brown Milne

September 15, 2018                        Paisley, Ontario                              Parks Canada Agency

David Brown Milne was one of the first Canadian artists to explore modernist styles and subject matter. Best known for his landscapes, Milne produced thousands of original and starkly beautiful oils, watercolours, prints, and sketches. His works, widely exhibited in Canada and around the world, are characterized by subtle arrangements of colour, space and line.

Today, Dr. Richard Alway, Chair of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, commemorated the national historic significance of David Brown Milne. The commemoration was made on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Catherine McKenna.

Raised in Paisley, Ontario, Milne moved to New York City in 1903 where he exhibited at the famous Armory Show in 1913. He enlisted in the Canadian military in 1917 and became a Canadian war artist, depicting scenes of First World War battlefields. He returned to Canada in 1929, and went on to create many innovations such as colour drypoint, previously done only in black and white and his ‘dazzle spot’. Today, his works hang in the National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Ontario.

The Government of Canada is committed to connecting Canadians to the significant people, places and events that contributed to our country’s diverse heritage. The commemoration process is largely driven by public nominations. To date, more than 2000 designations have been made.

The Government of Canada is celebrating families with free admission for youth 17 and under, and free admission for one year for new Canadian citizens, starting in 2018 and beyond. We invite Canadians to learn more about our history – from lighthouses to battlefields, historic neighbourhoods to Indigenous contributions to Canada, there is an amazing array of places and stories to discover.