Iconic Ontario landmark set to close for years due to redevelopment project

An acclaimed gallery, which began as a private home tucked away in a picturesque wooded area just outside Toronto, is set to close for up to four years. 

Last year, the province announced that the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, a sprawling, 70-year-old gallery in the Vaughan village of Kleinburg, would undergo a multi-million-dollar revitalization that will create more space, more studios, more event facilities, and a brand-new theatre.

Last fall, the gallery announced that the Toronto-based firm Hariri Pontarini Architects would take on the space’s redevelopment and this week, operators said that the gallery will be closed while significant work is done on the property. 

Lobby rendering

“This summer marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the McMichael,” the gallery’s operators said on the facility’s official website. 

“On July 26, 2026, we will close our doors to undertake a transformative redevelopment—one that will enhance how we care for the collection, expand our exhibitions and programs, and improve the experience for every visitor who walks through our doors.

This is a significant investment in the McMichael and the communities we serve, and we can’t wait to share what’s ahead.” 

On its website, the gallery said that while no official timelines are available yet, they expect visitors will be able to return to the rejuvenated gallery in 2029. 

The McMichael said that work slated to begin later this month includes upgrading essential systems and expanding exhibition, education, dining, and event spaces. Collection storage is also expected to be enhanced, and more accessible and inclusive amenities are also included in the redevelopment project.

The gallery said that since the space hasn’t received any substantial renovations in over four decades, it’s overdue for an overhaul. 

The gallery, which was once the private home of art collectors Robert and Signe McMichael, is the largest publicly funded art gallery dedicated to Canadian and Indigenous art.

Located on 100 acres of wooded conservation land overlooking the East Humber River Valley, the facility, which also boasts a sculpture garden, restaurant and event space, features over 7,000 works by Tom Thomson, the Group of Seven, and First Nations, Métis, Inuit and other contemporary Canadian artists.

The revitalization was announced in 2025 when the Ontario government pledged up to $50 million to the project. A news release from the gallery also said the federal government has committed up to $25 million through its Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program. 

A gallery spokesperson said the total cost of the project is estimated at $150 million, with support from the federal and provincial governments and private donations.

The gallery said the significant expansion will make the space a world-class destination for art enthusiasts.

“This once-in-a-generation renewal, supported by major investments from the Government of Ontario, the Government of Canada, and philanthropic partners, will remake the McMichael into a world-class museum for the 21st century—a beacon of accessibility, environmental sustainability and artistic excellence,” the gallery said in a release. 

Originally built in the 1950s, the gallery has become a leading arts destination in the province, welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors over the years. 

According to the McMichael Gallery’s official website, the co-founders’ collection grew to the point where they offered it — along with their home and land — to the province in 1965. The gallery officially opened in the summer of 1966. 

The website also says that acclaimed painter A.Y. Jackson, one of the founding members of the Group of Seven, lived in McMichaels’s home for the last years of his life. The grounds are also home to a small cemetery where six Group of Seven painters (Arthur Lismer, Frederick Varley, Lawren Harris, Frank Johnston, A.J. Casson and Jackson) are buried.

Robert and Signe McMichael are also buried on the grounds. 

The new design, led by HPA, will honour the site’s legacy while “expanding and modernizing the facility to meet the needs of diverse 21st-century audiences.”

All renderings courtesy of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection