Nous sommes le Canada – We are Canada
A mural celebrating Canada’s 150th anniversary
This project, funded by a $15,000 grant from the Federal Government as part of the Canada 150 celebrations and a matching contribution of $15,000 by the Town of Hudson, is the creation of a large mural on the exterior wall of the Hudson Legion, attached to the Stephen Shaar Community Centre.
Created and painted by two local artists, Daniel Gautier and Kent Thomson, the mural highlights how important the Ottawa River was to the economic development of Hudson and is an acknowledgement of the power of the floodwaters. The personages represented in the boat are symbolic of the past, present, and future. Looking from left to right, the people represented are:
Captain R. W. Shepherd: President of the Ottawa River Navigation Company; he petitioned the Government of Canada to rename the Ottawa Glass Works postal area to its current name of Como.
Dr. Frank Shepherd: Eminent Montreal surgeon, president of the Montreal Art Association and patron of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
Iroquois warrior
Stephen F. Shaar: Former mayor of Hudson, the Community Centre is named after him.
Phoebe Nobbs Hyde: Bequeathed Greenwood (now the Greenwood Centre for Living History) to a non-profit organization, was President of the Hudson Historical Society and an active member of the theatre community in Hudson.
Marcel Braitstein: Internationally renowned sculptor.
John Léger: Founder of the Hudson-Oka (formerly Como-Oka) ferry.
Sarah Thornton: Writer and sociologist of culture, described as the “Jane Goodall of the art world”
Iroquois woman.
Norman McLaren: One of the most awarded filmmakers in the history of Canadian cinema, with 4 Oscars, and a pioneer in both animation and filmmaking.
Young Irish immigrant girl (standing in front of Norman McLaren).
Erica Ehm (Miechowsky): Pioneering VJ at MuchMusic.
George Matthews: Owner of Canada Glass Works, named the local post office Hudson, after his wife’s maiden name.
Young immigrant boy
Eliza Hudson: Wife of George Matthews, Town of Hudson bears her name.
Young Jack Layton: Politician, environmentalist and social justice activist.
Young Indigenous child: standing next to Jack Layton.
Amanda Walsh: Hollywood actress.
Coral Egan: Singer.
Thomas Basset (T.B.) Macauley: President of Sun Life. Most of the world’s pure-bred Holstein cattle descent from Macaulay’s herd, specifically via their bull named “Johanna Rag Apple Pabst” aka Old Joe.
Young African-American girl
John R. Angier: Emmy award-winning composer for film and television
Dr. June Irwin: Spearheaded the campaign against the use of pesticides, contributed greatly to Hudson’s ban on pesticides and to its place as the first municipality in Canada to ban the use of pesticides.
Young Iroquois woman
Jean-Baptiste Sabourin and Sarah Hanson-Sabourin: One of Hudson’s oldest families.
Jean-Baptiste Séguin and Marie-Josephte Lamadeleine-Séguin: One of Hudson’s oldest families.
Iroquois woman.
NOVA nurse.
Dr. Gerald Murphy: Long-time doctor in Hudson.
Senator Jacques Demers: Winner of the Stanley Cup and a member of the Canadian Senate.
Young boy, American immigrant.
Claire de Sévigné: Internationally renowned opera singer.
Young Indigenous father.
Young Indigenous girl.
Walter Simpson: Owner of a garage on Main Road in Hudson
Pierre Lalonde: Singer and television host
Diane Dufresne: Internationally renowned singer.
Bad News Brown (Paul Frappier): Entertainer and musician.
A young boy from Hudson.
Mohawk chief.
Young Navy recruit – 1914-1918
Young Army recruit – 1942-1945
The young child of the sailor.
Heather Markgraf: Actress and co-founder of the Hudson Village Theatre.
Young boy, a Scottish immigrant.
Stanley Cosgrove: Internationally renowned Canadian artist.
Young boy, a British immigrant.
Mohawk woman.
F. R. (Fred) Hodgson: Founding member of the Hudson Historical Society.
William Manley Bourque: President and founder of the Hudson Hosiery Company.
Karen Young: Singer, lyricist, composer and arranger.
Young boy.
Young girl, a British immigrant.
Young Mohawk boy.
Young girl, an immigrant from the Eastern Townships.
A young girl of today.
Patrick Watson: Singer-songwriter, winner of the Polaris Prize in 2007.
Young boy diving into the water.
Through the solicitation of ideas from our current and former residents, the goal was to identify iconic people that represented both Hudson’s and Canada’s first 150 years and to illustrate our town’s vision of a future Hudson and Canada. The objective of this project was to have as many members as possible of our community participate and to create something truly unique and highly visible.
