Canada is only going to turn a 150 once, an important milestone such as this must be planned for years in advance in order to create a comprehensive visual that is all encompassing. It's my plan, Tim Van Horn to traverse the entire country over a 8 year period to create the largest every portrait of the people of Canada. My mission is to create a genuine visual document that include every nationality, every possible demographic, and 1000's geographical locations possible. Canada is such a new nation and has gone through a renaissance in the past few years as far as it's cultural identity goes. I'm not convinced we know who we are or what we actually look like. What better way to define our cultural identity than 40,000 samples of it? Every single one of us has a story etched upon our faces and into our souls, collectively these stories define us not just as a country, but defining life itself. Below is a rough time line of the creation of the portraits. I set my sights on refining my approach, technique/procedure and over all structure of the project.

Since that time 13,000 portraits have been created from every province and territory in Canada, and is already the largest portraiture of the Canadian people ever undertaken. The mosaic continues to grow with every passing week, with the entire project finishing up on Canada Day 2017, with 40,000 portraits from every part of Canada. These 40,000 portraits represent .1% of the population. The process of gathering the portraits is thus, to pick a geographical location, anywhere in Canada and stand there for one hour and ask everyone who goes by if they'd like to be included in the mosaic. I setup a backdrop, lay down a small round red rug on the sidewalk and put on a happy face and look for interested people. My success rate is somewhere around 70%. I also conduct audio recording, asking people what they think about life here in Canada, which also provides data for the written aspects of the exhibitions.

The Canadian Mosaic project started on October 1st. 2008 in Red Deer, Alberta. I had no idea I would be stumbling upon the concept of the mosaic until my second month of a one year trip across Canada. I was at Mc Gill University in Montreal photographing students with their toques and winter fashions, that day I blogged all the shots in a grid, putting everyone, side by side and wow, I started to see the power of illustrating our individuality and the need to put a face to our ever changing cultural diversity. Below is a time line for the creation of the portraits, shooting is to be completed for 2016, so there is at least one year to go into production to create the exhibitions for 2017.

These are the first portraits created for the Canadian Mosaic project on McGill Campus in 2008!

This is the portrait style now in 2012, which encompasses more of the person's body, also using different colored backgrounds to help give the mosaic shape.

The Quebec Mosaic is currently being created using 2012 portraits from across the province of Quebec. portraits will be taken from October 2011 to January 2012 from across Quebec, using blue and white backgrounds in attempt to put a face to one of Canada's most misunderstood provinces.

In recognizing Quebec's unique cultural identity, the "duality flag" is a Canadian flag with two blue strips

bordering the red bans.

Canada Day 2011 mosaic created with 2700 portraits from Vancouver.

In 2012 the Yellowknife Mosaic will bring together one of Canada's

most magical northern communities, Yellowknife.

In 2010 the Vancouver Mosaic was created to celebrate the 125th year of Vancouver being a city with 5500 portraits.

A heartfelt look at life here in Canada.

In 2013 an extensive portrait of northern Canada will create a massive documentation of the first nations peoples.

In 2017, all 40,000 portraits will be unified to create a massive mosaic for the 150th birthday of Canada.

Q. Who is Canadian Mosaic?

The Canadian Mosaic Project is a one man show, my name is Tim Van Horn and its my life mission to bring this country together for the right reasons. To illustrate the true Canadian cultural tapestry from a place of non-partisan, non-government perspective. My goal is to spread the message that we each has an amazing life to be lived and a one-of-a-kind story to be shared and dreams to be lived. Whether I realized it or not, I've been working towards this point my entire life, but never actually known it until I got here.

All too often the phrase "the Canadian mosaic' is used in government to describe Canada's multicultural makeup. Its true Canada is one of the most culturally diverse nations on the planet, for most part everyone is entitled to retain their cultural identity and live freely as they please. A positive aspect to be proud of here in Canada. We are a free country to express your cultural views, no matter what your cultural background is.

However, multiculturalism is but a mere spoke in the wheel of the Canadian mosaic, I see the Canadian mosaic representing the tree of life. Each of is innately unique in every aspect of who we are, much like a snow flake. We all think our own thoughts, dress a certain way and are individuals. These slight differences made up both our cultural identity here in Canada, but also collectively these portraits define and create a 'prism of life'. Each portraits is a chip in the DNA chain. My mission is to bring all these stories or chips together in one single tapestry and say to you the people, "there, this is the meaning of life, live it, love it, breath it!" I then plug these portraits into different, positive icon and exhibit them for people to learn from and embrace.

Canadian Mosaic makes it to Cape Spear, NFLD, the most eastern point in Canada!

Q. What got you started with doing a project like this on Canada?

A. I have always wanted to travel and record our history with a camera since I can remember. I was raised in the Canadian Air Force, and developed a sense of duty to the people. I guess you'd say I have a huge humanitarian streak rather than a 'I love Canada' we're the best, streak. I do love Canada, but I feel my message is a universal message and examination of our humankind and life itself. So, I do this to expose our humanity, which in my mind, doesn't have a nationality or borders. I plug these amazing portraits into a number of visuals with a Canadian flag motif, because at the top of what I call the 'community pyramid' stands a person's country. Below that, you have your city, province or territory, than your neighborhood, and of course your family.

Q. What's the most portraits you've shot in a day?

A. On Canada Day in Vancouver this year, I met and photographed 2700 people. Amazing!

Q. Why do something for so long for free?

A. Well, I ask that question every so often, usually at the end of the month when the bills are due or when I have to drop 120 to fill up my van. If you stood on the street and experienced the out pouring of emotion and love I receive while doing this you'd see that that love and education about life itself is my reward or pay. 13,000 souls later I am a changed person, I have purpose and that purpose is to connect all of us together for no other reason but to spread the message of understanding.

Each year, new mosaics are created and exhibited at special events across Canada. Some are booked months in advance and others are last minute. The message is always well received, no matter what province or age group, people love the concept and are so happy someone is out here doing a project of this nature. Below is a sample of some of the displays and events the Canadian Mosaic Project has been to in the past two years. If you are interest in having a mosaic at your event, please contact me, Tim Van Horn.

Canada Day 2011 in Vancouver, BC at Canada Place.

Canada Day 2011 in Vancouver, BC at Canada Place.

Arctic Winter Games, in Grande Prairie, Alberta in 2010

Calgary Folkfest 2010

Outdoor Studio on Canada Day, Canada Place, Vancouver, BC I met and photographed 2700 people in 10 hour!

Shambhala 2011

Vancouver Pride Week 2010-11

The deal was 'Sister Stella' would allow me to photograph her if I took my shirt off!!! I was like, 'no problem' that will never happen again!!

We need something BIG and real for the 150th birthday of Canada in a time where we're seeing less and less of real. These 40,000 portraits will define and document this country like never before, an archive for our history as a country and as a people will be forever written into the archives, providing future generations a glimpse into the life and times of the mid 21st century here in Canada. Never before has Canada been documented so extensively from a heartfelt angle.

Q. How many people to you think you've met while doing this project?

A. 13,000 portraits have been created from every province and territory in for the mosaic and I average about 70% success rate in getting people on board, so another 4000 people declined on top of the 13,000 who have agreed. So that's about 17,000 Canadians in the past 42 months.

Q. Where do you see the Canadian Mosaic series going in the next few years ?

A. Well, I'm looking at outfitting a school bus (Canada Bus) and turning this into more of a business. I need a printer on board and more of a presents with a bigger exhibition which will rap around the bus. I see going to a community and doing a mosaic on that community, completing it with 400 to 1800 portraits and offering everyone who's in the mosaic the opportunity to purchase a poster online. My resources are shrinking and I need to open an online store in order to keep this moving forward. I feel the mosaics work better on a local grass roots level, so I will be focusing on doing 4-8 week tours to different communities.

Q. I look at these portraits and I see the same thing, these people trust you, how do you gain trust in so many people?

A. Well, this might seem far out there, but I believe everyone I meet has been excepting me. Everyone wants to be acknowledged and immortalized, on some level. We all want to be apart of something big and well this project feeds those needs. Of course people also want to believe in something and the mosaic is about the people, for the people. I think people are inspired and trust in something when it comes from someone's heart and feeble, real attempt to record our humanity and history. This is about making life art on a grand scale. Which we just don't see enough of.

Q. How do you get the red and white backgrounds?

A. I shoot all the portraits with the same red and white background which I setup off the side of my van, or sometimes I tack the backgrounds up on building or whatever surface is available.

Q. Why is it that people say 'no' to being included in the heartfelt look at our humanity?

A. Well there's lots of reasons, which, I must and force myself to grapple with and understand. Sometimes people aren't so happy with who they have become. Sad, I know. Other times people think I'm going to hassle them and want money from them, so they keep walking and don't ever stop to listen. I guess I do want something from them, to believe in the goodness of us all! Other times people just never have photographs taken of them, ever. Personal choice. Some people reference Facebook, and how they don't want to be on the internet. I must and do respect this. Trust is fragile and an intrinsic part of the Canadian social fibre. If you look at each of these portraits your notice everyone has an upward positive feeling to their photo. That's because these people wanted to photographed and genuinely believe in this mosaic.

Q. Do you make people sign a model release form so you can use their photograph?

A. No, I spend a few minutes going over every aspect of the project and my ethics regarding how their photo will be used. Basically this is all happens with me giving people my word and them believing in me. Pretty cool eh!

Q. Do you ever do audio recording with the people you photograph?

A. I don't do nearly enough audio recording, but i do a handful each day. I find just managing all the photos I take in a day a lot of data to manage, so add in a bunch of audio recording and it gets over whelming. I am going to try to do more recording in 2012.

Q. How many portraits do you do in a year normally?

A. Well, in 2008-09, I shot 1800 portraits, in 2010, I shot 3400 and so far in 2011, I've shot 8000.

Q. What sort of response have you received with the Canadian Mosaic pavilion?

A. In 2010, thousands of people in eight communities in Western Canada experienced the pavilion up close and in person. People stood in front to of the mosaic and had their photos taken with it, the intent was to spread the message of embracing life and each other. Everyone's response is the same 'I wonder if I know anyone in it,' everyone felt or want to feel a connection to someone or something within the mosaic. In that way, it was a success.

Q. What's your favorite part of doing this project?

A. Hands down it has to be the interaction with the people I meet and learn from. This is a spiritual journey for me into the depths of understanding the cultural fabric of Canada and humankind. Each of us has a story written into us, by being embedded in the field of life, I'm learning what all those stories look like and how they work and piece together to make one. The 'adventure potential' is huge, each and everyday. Yes, you could say I'm a total adventure junkie. I'd rather sleep in a random location every other night, than in one spot month in and month out. My normal, isn't really that normal at all, but this is a mission, you find the strength, fill the gaps and make it happen. Good things come to those who do good work and thou, I don't have much, but I'm totally taken care of and feel very strong and centred.

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