On January 23, 2001, Minister of Canadian Heritage, the Honourable Sheila Copps officially announced the creation of the Portrait Gallery of Canada which will be affiliated with the National Archives of Canada.

"This Gallery will offer visitors an unparalleled chance to see Canadians from all walks of life who have helped to build our country and write our stories, as well as those of today whose lives enrich our present and chart our future. We will participate in the development of the Gallery by contributing works for exhibition from our extensive portrait holdings and by providing staff expertise and operational support." said Ian Wilson, National Archivist of Canada

The National Archives of Canada has been collecting documentary and art works for more than a century; its portrait collections now comprise approximately 20,000 paintings and drawings, four million photographs and 10,000 medals and philatelic works. They provide a unique testimony to Canada’s history and aid in better understanding Canada's diversity.

The Portrait Gallery of Canada was originally supposed to open in 2004-2005 and be housed at 100 Wellington Street, Ottawa, directly opposite Parliament Hill. On November 9, 2007, a request for proposals was announced which would see the relocation of the Gallery to one of nine cities accross Canada.