Tom Thomson: the Great Canadian Mystery
For as long as I can remember, my dad’s been totally obsessed with Tom Thomson. As a kid, I thought this was purely based on his art and contributions towards Canada’s ‘Group of 7’ collective. I didn’t know the story and even when it was first told to me, I was like, “Oh. That's sucky." You know? I never paid it much attention.
Lately, an author has really captured my attention and now I find myself obsessed and wanting to know more. Maybe not the truth because I think that those in search of Tom Thomson’s death-related-truth may never be satisfied… but I definitely want to absorb everything that I can (within reason) about this troubled artist.
The author, Tim Bouma, masterfully tells the story (first person, sometimes second or third) of Tom’s final months on Twitter:
Canoe Lake: Residents are in collective shock. The man they knew as an artist is tied to a tree stump floating by a flooded shore.
— Tom Thomson (@TTLastSpring) July 16, 2021
Twitter is my social media go-to, so I easily became completely enamored with the @TTLastSpring account. Give it a follow if you’re interested or, better yet, buy the book ‘Tom Thomson: A Journal of My Last Spring’.
If you know of any other great Canadian mysteries to dive into or have more Tom Thomson related things to satiate my inherited interests, please get in touch!