A rare addition to the collection at Bethune Memorial House is now on public display, giving visitors a new reason to explore one of Canada’s most fascinating historic sites.
On July 17, Bethune Memorial House unveiled a rare original piece painted by Dr. Norman Bethune that depicts his wife, Frances Campbell Penney.
Parks Canada said that the recently acquired piece is a significant addition to their national collection of more than 31 million archaeological and historical objects. The collection spans over 11,000 years of human history.
Bethune Memorial House site manager Scott Davidson said that the acquisition of this piece nearly 10 years after its discovery is really special.
“This unveiling has been years in the making,” he said. “It’s really kind of exciting for me, and I think a lot of people, to see it.”
Bethune completed the painting in 1935, just before he left for Spain the following year to aid in the Civil War. He left the painting with one of his colleagues in Canada, promising to return for it after he finished his work in Europe.
But history had other plans. After the Spanish Civil War, Bethune travelled to China where he spent the rest of his life. He never returned to retrieve the painting of Frances, meaning that it remained with his colleagues’ family.
After more than a year of back and forth communication with a relative of the colleague, Davidson was able to persuade him that Bethune Memorial House was where the painting truly belonged.
“I gave him the same message I give people who ask about Bethune’s belongings: ‘Many of Bethune’s belongings, whether it be his artwork or personal belongings, were either sold or gifted to China over the years because that’s where he was most famous. He was there 22 months, but he was in Canada most of his life. We need to recognize him here. We need to have a place where we can be proud of our own heroes.’”
Davidson said that finding a piece like this that is tied to a Canadian figure of national historic significance is relatively rare. He said that he hopes this painting helps people connect to Bethune even more than before.
“We thought this painting, in particular, would allow people to connect with Bethune, to figure out a little bit about how his mind worked and what made him do what he did.”
The Portrait of Frances will be on permanent display at the Bethune Memorial House. Parks Canada said that summer is the perfect time to visit Bethune Memorial House, discover the story of Dr. Bethune, and see this remarkable new addition to their collection.
Bethune Memorial House National Historic Site is open daily throughout the summer. Admission is free until September 7, 2026 as part of the Canada Strong Pass. For hours of operation and to plan your visit, go to: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/on/bethune
