The Portrait Gallery of Canada will focus on portraits of people from all walks of life who have contributed and who continue to contribute to the development of Canada.

In doing this, the Gallery will:

• connect Canadians to each other by preserving and exploring the values that defined us in the past and continue to provide an enduring basis for our country's vision of nationhood now and into the future;
• provide a unique visual history of Canada, interpreted on a human scale, through the faces of individuals who have shaped and who continue to shape the history and culture of the nation;
• connect Canadians through contemporary and historic exhibits and new media accessible in person and through the virtual network.