William Nicoll Cresswell Canadian (born in England), 1818–1888
The Building of Fort William, 1871 oil on canvas 41 x 72.5 cm
Collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery; Acquired with funds from
The Winnipeg Art Gallery Foundation Inc. in honour of the
appointment of Dr. Ferdinand Eckhardt as a Fellow of The
Winnipeg Art Gallery Foundation Inc. While it is not known if he
actually made the trip himself, William Cresswell’s luminous
depiction of the water transport of timber for the building of
Fort William presents a gleaming, romantic view of a hinterland
post. The fort would eventually become a thriving community
centred on the lumber industry, and the basis of present-day
Thunder Bay, Ontario. At the time of Confederation in 1867 and
into the twentieth century, much of Canada’s economy was based
on primary resources and physical labour, such as the hewing of
lumber and the drawing of water. The business and political
elite of urban centres in Ontario and Quebec was lured by the
promise that westward expansion a