Some say that Winnifred (Winnie) Trainor was the second love of Tom Thomson life and that this romance may have played a hand in the mysterious death of Thompson.
How the romance developed between the man who divided his time between the city of Toronto and the woodlands of the park and the woman who lived in Huntsville is not clear, but if this theory is correct, Miss Trainor played a crucial role in his death.
After meeting in the spring of 1913, Tom and Winnie were rumoured to have become romantically involved and perhaps had even become lovers. These rumours have led to the speculation that Winnie was newly pregnant by Tom at the time of his death and that perhaps a male relative of Winnie’s murdered Tom in an attempt to avenge Winnie’s honour and reputation.
Other rumors say that Tom and Winnie had just become engaged and were to announce the upcoming nuptials and the news of Winnie’s pregnancy.
These theories have never been proven, but it is known that just three weeks after Thomson’s death, Winnie was sent away and did not return until the following spring…
The painting of this woman is believed to be Winnifred Trainor. It was among Thomson’s unsold collection at the time of his death.
