Dedicated to Promoting
The Arts in Kirkland Lake

On October 20th, 1944, The Kirkland Lake Arts and Letters Club held its first meeting in the Royal Canadian Legion Building, spearheaded by newcomers to the community, Ralph and Dorothea Ashton.

The purpose of the club was to foster art in the North, encouraging those who were interested in expressing themselves and bringing to others the opportunity of observing what was being done in the field of art, not only by local devotees, but also by artists throughout Canada.

By 1948, it was apparent that the drama and music components of the club justified their own organization and the Kirkland Lake Arts Council was formed. Kirkland Lake was a busy gold mining community of 30,000 in those days and many people passed through the community. Toller Cranston and Mario Bernardi spent childhood years here as did Marion and Sarah Botsford, Alan Thicke, and more recently, Lee MacDougall, Michael Mahonen, and Michael O’Brien. It was often joked that, next to hockey players, Kirkland Lake’s greatest export was artists.

In 1981, the Council established a constitution and bylaws. These were amended in 1985, when the Council applied to become a charitable and nonprofit organization.

The Kirkland Lake Arts Council has been dedicated to promoting the arts in Kirkland Lake for over 75 years and will continue to showcase the best Canada has to offer for many years to come. See you at the shows!

Board Members

Past Series