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.
Robert Ford Gagen's Vanguards of the Coast was acquired in 1920 and dedicated to Private Ardell Johnston. Ardell enlisted from Saskatoon Collegiate on 26 May 1915. In the winter of 1918 he was stricken with influenza while on leave in Scotland and died suddenly on 17 December.
