Heffel Fine Art Celebrates 30 Years with Historic Canadian Art Auction

Heffel Fine Art marks 30 years of live auctions with a milestone sale celebrating the best in Canadian and international art – including a rare painting by Sir Winston Churchill, and works from the Group of Seven, E.J. Hughes and many others.

A landscape painting titled 'Marrakech' by Winston S. Churchill, featuring tall palm trees and three figures in the foreground, with a light blue sky and warm, earthy tones. — Marrakech, oil on canvas, circa 1935, 24 x 20 in, 61 x 50.8 cm

The rare work by Churchill is part of A Legacy Through Art: The Hudson’s Bay Company Collection, which brings to market 27 highlights from North America’s longest-running company, which closed its doors this year after more than three centuries. It was one of Canada’s most iconic institutions, founded in 1670.

The painting, Marrakech, was gifted to HBC by Lady Churchill in 1956 and is the first painting by the famed British prime minister to come to auction in Canada. This work was hand-selected by Lady Churchill and in her opinion was his finest work in the private domain (auction estimate: $400,000 – $600,000), Heffel says.

A dramatic landscape painting featuring a river surrounded by dense forests and mountains under a cloudy sky, with a small boat on the water and a vibrant red-roofed house in the background. — E.J. Hughes, Courtenay River Landscape, oil on canvas, 1950, 19 1/8 x 24 1/4 in, 48.6 x 61.6 cm

The auction brings together four major sessions, each representing a cornerstone of Heffel’s history and expertise. The HBC collection goes Nov. 19, 2025, with the series running through Dec. 4, 2025.

A vibrant landscape painting depicting a wooded island surrounded by water, featuring lush green trees and rocky shores, with a vintage ship in the background. — Entrance to Howe Sound, oil on canvas, 1949, 32 x 36 in, 81.3 x 91.4 cm

E.J. Hughes has two masterful canvases in the sale, Entrance to Howe Sound from the Lillian Mayland McKimm Collection (est. $1.2 million – 1.75 million) and Courtenay River Landscape (est. $300,000 – 400,000). Together, they showcase the artist’s distinctive command of light, colour and the stunning BC landscape. (See an Art Junkie feature on Hughes here)

The biggest names in Canadian art history are represented. My own browse through the auction offerings led to a number of works which resonated personally, including Lights of a City Street by Frederic Marlett Bell-Smith (1846 – 1923).

A bustling downtown Toronto scene from 1894, showcasing people on a rainy street, vintage streetcars, and historical architecture, highlighting the lively atmosphere of the city. — Lights of a City Street, oil on canvas, 1894.

Bell-Smith’s work is a celebrated 1894 masterpiece depicting downtown Toronto, featuring the artist and his son. The famous canvas from the HBC collection has been exhibited extensively throughout its lifetime and is among the most admired paintings in all of Canadian art (est. $100,000 – $150,000). (It spoke to me because I worked for many years at King and Yonge streets in Toronto, the scene of this painting.)

A vibrant landscape painting featuring a blue lake surrounded by green trees and hills, under a dramatic sky with large clouds. — A.J. Casson, Wapomeo Island, oil on canvas, 1979, 24 x 30 in, 61 x 76.2 cm

The works of Group of Seven artists are well represented (including the A.J. Casson work, above), amid a growing international penchant for Canadian art. See this previous report on Heffel’s record breaking Canadian art sale earlier in 2025.

The auctions at Heffel, here

A great article/interview with Heffel about the Hudson’s Bay works, here.