You know my picture of the old cab stand with the horses and sleighs and the old stone wall. The wall is gone. The horses are gone. Do you know what is there now? A gasoline station.

—Kathleen Moir Morris

This poignant reflection by Kathleen Morris speaks directly to her instinct for capturing moments on the brink of disappearance. A founding member of the Beaver Hall Group, Morris was instrumental in shaping a more modern, urban vision for Canadian art. Working alongside a progressive circle of Montreal artists, she favoured direct observation, simplified forms and bold brushwork, bringing vitality and colour to scenes drawn from everyday life.

The Cab Stand, Quebec exemplifies these qualities. The subject of cab stands held lasting appeal for artists working in Quebec, offering a distinctly local motif rooted in winter streets, horse-drawn transport and daily routine. Morris’s composition is both animated and composed, with figures and horses rendered through confident, expressive brush-strokes and vibrant colours. This charming oil sketch balances immediacy with structure, preserving a fleeting urban scene with warmth, clarity and lasting resonance.