What does it mean to be Canadian? The thought will likely be on many people鈥檚 minds as the country celebrates its 150th birthday this year.
But for Alberta-based photographer Tim Van Horn, it鈥檚 a question he has spent a gruelling eight years on the road trying to answer.
鈥淚鈥檓 trying to inspire people with the universal story of life that鈥檚 going on here in Canada,鈥� the 47-year-old told CTVNews.ca in a telephone interview from Calgary.
Since 2008, Van Horn has travelled throughout Canada, amassing an impressive collection of 54,000 images as part of a photo project exploring culture and diversity that will go on display this spring.
After visiting 1,200 communities across the country, Van Horn said he鈥檚 realized what unifies Canadians: the ability to set aside their many differences to create a peaceful and accepting environment for all.
鈥淚 keep coming back to this particular scenario that a Canadian just wants to be able to walk to the park with their kid, to raise a family, to have a safe environment to live in,鈥� he said.
A Syrian family poses for a family photo for the Canadian mosaic project on Canada Day 2016 in Calgary, Alta. (Tim Van Horn / Canadian Mosaic)
From a photo of a relieved family of Syrian refugees arriving in Canada to a First Nations woman standing up to have indigenous peoples鈥� history acknowledged to a multi-ethnic couple in Halifax, the common theme of Van Horn鈥檚 images is that Canadian culture exists thanks to the country鈥檚 diversity鈥攏ot in spite of it.
鈥淲hen I was a kid, it was meat and potatoes. Now, we have curry, we have tacos (and) we have sushi. We have all these foods that have infused our diet,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 like to think of culture that way. That鈥檚 a very special thing we have here in Canada.鈥�
A couple poses at Pier 21 in Halifax, N.S. in 2014. (Tim Van Horn / Canadian Mosaic)
A 'modern-day pilgrimage'
The Canadian Mosaic photo project, which is funded entirely by public donations, was initially intended to be a one-year journey leading up to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver that would result in the photographer鈥檚 second self-published book.
Van Horn, however, said he quickly began to see the mosaic as his calling, setting off on what he describes as a 鈥渕odern-day pilgrimage.鈥�
A First Nations woman is seen at the 鈥業dle No More鈥� protest in Vancouver B.C. in January of 20143. (Tim Van Horn / Canadian Mosaic)
鈥淚 started to realize that Canada is this beautiful new country, but there was no face to put to it,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here was no image, no group of photographs that talked about our cultural identity鈥攖he ever-changing Canadian mosaic.鈥�
That鈥檚 when Van Horn began to focus on shooting portraits of Canadians from all walks of life, starting at McGill University in Montreal in 2008. He finished the year with more than 2,000 photos.
The photographer spent the next eight years travelling in his van, affectionately named 鈥淢aple,鈥� documenting the lives of a large cross-section Canadians, from children growing up British Columbia to the unique culture of Quebec.
A Girl Guide in Nanaimo, B.C. proudly displays her badges in this photo taken in 2015. (Tim Van Horn / Canadian Mosaic)
In order to capture Canadian diversity as authentically as possible, Van Horn spent several hours each day on the street asking to photograph every passerby, without exception.
鈥淚 have to remove myself out of the selection process because, essentially this is supposed to be anyone and everyone,鈥� he said.
A couple poses near Parc Street in Montreal for the annual Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day in 2013. (Tim Van Horn / Canadian Mosaic)
On the road again
On May 20, the finished Canadian Mosaic project will go on display as a part of a year-long, cross-country tour called 鈥淭o Canada With Love.鈥�
Van Horn鈥檚 54,000 portraits will be displayed as a mosaic arranged into the shape of a Canadian flag printed on the side of an RV that will act as what he calls a 鈥渕obile pavilion.鈥� The RV will stop in 150 prominent and historically significant locations across Canada where it will be accessible to the public. The tour will last exactly 365 days.
A Canadian flag made of portraits taken by Tim Van Horn is seen in this provided image. (Tim Van Horn / Canadian Mosaic)
鈥淚 think when people see and witnesses this collection of 54,000 photos, that they will feel that it鈥檚 an authentic reflection of our cultural identity,鈥� he said. 鈥淓veryone will be able to stand in front of this thing and see themselves reflected.鈥�
The display will also include 13 ribbons of text that will showcase Canadian place names, facts about Canada, the national anthem, statistics about the country, and quotes by Canadians and about Canada.
Van Horn also plans to produce a series of 鈥淢y Canada鈥� vignettes asking people what the country means to them that will be turned into a documentary at the end of 2017.
鈥淭his bus will set out as this sort of cultural identity research vehicle,鈥� he said.
Van Horn will also be posting updates on his journey to the project鈥檚 .
'Excruciating sacrifices'
Van Horn said that, while the Mosaic project has been rewarding, he has also had to make some 鈥渆xcruciating sacrifices.鈥�
鈥淢y project is my life now,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 used to have friends. I used to have a dresser with clothes in it. Now, I live out of a bag and nobody ever knows where I am most of the time.鈥�
Photographer and Canadian Mosaic project director Tim Van Horn is seen in this social media photo. (Tim Van Horn / Facebook)
But Van Horn said the sacrifice has been well worth it.
鈥淎s difficult as this has been, I can justify it because I feel that鈥here鈥檚 a real need to unify and to celebrate life and to talk about oneness,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e sacrificed a tremendous amount but really, when you think of it, your life is meant to have a purpose. It鈥檚 meant to count.鈥�
Even after eight laborious years, Van Horn, who has made it his mission to bring his project to as many Canadians as he can, has no plans of stopping.
Starting in 2018, he said he wants to do an annual four-month tour, revamping the mobile display each year with new technology and new images.
鈥淚鈥檓 doing this because I see a real need more than ever before to unite and celebrate life here in Canada,鈥� he said. 鈥淭o cease at this point just doesn鈥檛 make sense.鈥�
