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.
Homer Ransford Watson's Vista Through the Trees was acquired in 1922 and dedicated to Private Leonard Herman Olsont. Leonard attended Saskatoon Collegiate Institute from 1912 to 1915. He enlisted on 28 December 1916 and was killed at Amiens on 9 August 1918.
