Preparing for the Patshatl

Helen Granger Young O.M., A.O.C.A. (1922–2023) was a Canadian sculptor and painter known for her extensive body of work in bronze, porcelain, and oil. Born in Mimico, Ontario, she demonstrated an early aptitude for the arts and earned a scholarship to the Ontario College of Art. During her studies, she was mentored by prominent figures in Canadian art history, including Franklin Carmichael, Charles Comfort, and Fred Haines. Following her education, she contributed to the Canadian war effort by producing technical drawings of military aircraft and tanks, including work related to the Avro Arrow project.

In 1947, Young relocated to Winnipeg, Manitoba, where she established a long-term professional practice. Her early career involved commercial illustration for major retailers such as the Hudson’s Bay Company and Eaton’s. By the 1960s, she began to specialize in portraiture and sculpture. She gained international recognition for her series of porcelain sculptures depicting North American Indigenous figures, which were produced in collaboration with studios such as Cybis, Goebel, and Royal Worcester. Several of these works were selected as official diplomatic gifts by the Government of Canada and the Province of Manitoba for presentation to international heads of state and members of the British Royal Family.

Young is widely recognized for her monumental bronze sculptures located in public spaces throughout Western Canada. Her most prominent work is the Famous Five monument (2010), situated on the grounds of the Manitoba Legislative Building, which commemorates the legal recognition of women as persons under Canadian law. Her other significant public installations in Winnipeg include the Women’s Tri-Service Monument (1976), the First Flight monument (1984) on Memorial Boulevard, and several bronze busts for the Citizens Hall of Fame in Assiniboine Park.

Throughout her seven-decade career, Young maintained a commitment to historical accuracy and technical detail in both her three-dimensional and two-dimensional work. Her portraiture included paintings and sculptures of notable figures such as John Diefenbaker, Sterling Lyon, and Jackson Beardy. Her work is represented in the permanent collections of various public institutions, and her artistic contributions to the province were formally acknowledged in 2013 when she was appointed to the Order of Manitoba.