As the dog days of summer come upon us, we find a moment to count our assets and consider our foundations. Which emerging gallerists are striking hot? Which MFA programs promise a high return? Who are the top collectors shaping the landscape? In the first of a series of probing features, this August, BLOUIN ARTINFO Canadaengages with the last of these questions. Taking our cue from ARTnews' recent list of top collectors, we profile the five Canadian collectors who made the cut. Among them (both individuals and couples), there lie exciting and curious purchasing tendencies, some fetishes laid bare, and a good deal of artistry. Here are the essentials:

Ydessa Hendeles

Internationally recognized for both her work and her philanthropy, Ydessa Hendeles perhaps best personifies the artist-as-curator paradox. German-born and Toronto-based, Hendeles maintains a large presence in the artworld (in addition to this ARTnews laurel, she was also named one of its 50 most influential people, last year) and continues to make headlines. Her eponymous museum-cum-foundation that boasted larger-than-life, idiosyncratic exhibitions of her world-renowned personal collection shuttered its doors after 25 years, this spring. Though she continues to curate (her exhibition at New York’s Andrea Rosen Gallery was named one of the year’s best), she also sublimates that role (“curator”) in every interview she gives; Hendeles remains an artist, foremost, even as she wields her impressive collection into curated triumphs (featuring teddy bears, say, or trauma). Indeed, she self-proclaimedly regards "everything as a curiosity — including contemporary art.” Here are the bullet points for Hendeles:

- Began as a gallerist: ran the Ydessa Gallery, based in Toronto, from 1980 to 1988; helped Jeff Wall, Rodney Graham, Ken Lum, Liz Magor,andSandra Meigs come to prominence, among others.

- Opened the Ydessa Hendeles Art Foundation in 1988, closed in 2012.

- Recently sold 144 works to Glenstone in Potomac, Maryland; as of June, the Hendeles Foundation retains 220 pieces of contemporary art and 1,020 photographs.

- Opened a show of her own work at Johann König in Berlin (July 2012).

- Curated a celebrated exhibition at Andrea Rosen, last year, making TimeOUT’s list of top 2012 exhibitions.

- In January of 2009, donated 32 Canadian and international artworks to the AGO, "representing the most significant single gift of contemporary art in the AGO's 110-year history." Sits on the museum's board of trustees.

David Thomson

Descending from a long line of lords and barons, David Thomson sits at the helm of the richest family in Canada, and the title of chairman of Thomson Reuters. He is the son of the late Ken Thomson, a media giant and valued art collector who famously bequeathed over $300 million in art to the Art Gallery of Ontario, a collection that remains at the apex of the museum's permanent holdings. David has formed a uniquely divergent collecting interest to his father's, however: he owns "The Archive of Modern Conflict," a vast photographic collection that runs the gamut of celebrated photographers to photographic detritus. Images by established names like Josef Sudek go displayed alongside amateur or unknown photographers discovered at flea markets and yard sales. The archive brings forth compelling images from modern history that may have remained lost if not for the AMC’s feverish and undiscerning collection practices. Previously shown at Paris Photo, a rare exhibition of the images (a relative handful from an elusive archive numbering 4 million), “Collected Shadows,” was recently displayed at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art. Privately owned by Thomson and curated by Timothy Prus, the archive has rarely been on view. However the AMC holds a publishing branch, which produces clever and unconventional photography and art books and the Amc2 journal (which released its fifth issue in March 2013). Here are the essentials on Thomson:

- According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Thomson's family is considered the richest in Canada.

- He formerly worked for the Bay and Zellers.

- A patron of the AGO, and represented by the Thomson Collection, which focuses on European art from the Italian Renaissance, early twentieth-century Canadian painters, and ship models.

- Owns "The Archive of Modern Conflict," a collection of photographs that number in the millions.

- Considered to have one of the top collections of English painter John Constable.

Steven and Michael Latner

Brothers in the Albert Latner family, Steven and Michael Latner made their fortune in Toronto property development and entrepreneurship. Their family has received salacious press, lately, for its siblings’ litigious squabbling. Steven has earned a reputation for his (and wife Lynda’s) design savvy, while they both focus on collecting tendencies that run to international modern and contemporary art. They have designated a gallery, in their name, at the AGO to the work of Canadian icon artist, Michael Snow. They also provided significant funding for the AGO’s "Ian Baxter&: Works 1958-2011," and the "Glenn Ligon" exhibition at the Whitney Museum. Here are the salient details for the Latners:

- A recent Toronto Life article profiles a complicated series of lawsuits among squabbling siblings Joshua and Elise Latner.

- They share a large collection, in part courtesy of their father, Albert Latner, who made his fortune in real estate, health care, and casinos.

-  Michael's son Aaron sits on the board of the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery.

- Steven is part of the Contemporary Art Circle at the National Gallery of Canada.

-  Both are donors to the AGO, and produced major funding behind "Ian Baxter&: Works 1958-2011" and the "Glenn Ligon" show at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Joey and Toby Tanenbaum

Joey Tanenbaum and wife Toby have left a significant imprint on several of Canada’s leading cultural institutions, including the Art Gallery of Hamilton,the Canadian Opera Company, the AGO, and the Royal Ontario Museum. Their collections run to African art and 20th century contemporary, as well as old masters, from Rubens to Rodin. Here are the key points:

- Chairman and CEO of Jay-M Enterprises and Jay-M holdings.

- Similar to the Latners, the Tanenbaums are involved in fighting over inheritance with their siblings, including Larry Tanenbaum, chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment.

- Joey is the son of Polish immigrants who made their fortune in steel fabrication.

- Toby remains the primary backer behind the Canadian Opera Company.

- They are founder of the ROM, and donated 300 Byzantine artifacts in 1997 and 1,800 Chinese antiquities in 2000.

- They are major donors to the Art Gallery of Hamilton, where they have donated significant collections of African and 20th century art, valued at more than $75 million.

Blema and Arnold Steinberg

The only collectors on the list who are positioned outside of Toronto, this Montreal-based couple are known for their modern and contemporary collections. While Arnold (who made his fortune in investment banking) and his wife are known for their philanthropy, particularly in health care research, they have yet to leave a mark as major donors of art.

- Collectors of modern and contemporary art.

- Arnold is a member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Quebec.

- Blema is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at McGill University.