In March of 1919, students at Nutana Collegiate (called Saskatoon Collegiate Institute until 1923) announced they would establish a memorial for the 29 alumni soldiers who died in the First World War. Principal Alfred J. Pyke instead suggested creating a Memorial Art Gallery that consisted exclusively of paintings by Canadian artists. They purchased one painting by a different artist for each fallen soldier.
Frederick Sproston Challener's Off to Flanders was acquired in 1927 and dedicated to Private Robert Peveral McCordick. Robert attended Saskatoon Collegiate Institute from 1911 to 1913. He enlisted in May 1917 and was killed on the Cambrai front on 26 August 1918.
