Nyora kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - William Paterson Ewen akaberekwa muna 1925 muMontreal, Quebec. Aifarira unyanzvi kubva achiri muduku, akatanga nokuveza zvifananidzo zviduku muvhesi, uye paakanga ava nemakore gumi nematatu akakumbira amai vake kuti varembedze unyanzvi pamadziro akanga asati ashongedzwa eimba yaEwen. Kutanga muna 1944, Ewen akashanda muuto rokuongorora kuWestern Front (Hondo Yenyika II)
, asi akanga asina kubatanidzwa mukurwisana chaiko. Paakadzokera kuCanada, akanyoresa paMcGill University. Akadzidza geology, asi mushure megore rake rokutanga akatanga kurwisana nekuora mwoyo, uye akatsvaka zororo mukukopa zvinyorwa zvemagazini nekunyora nzvimbo dzakapoteredza maCanada Officers 'Training Corps kuSaint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier kwaakanga anyoresa zvakare muzhizha. Paakadzokera kuchikoro mumatsutso, Ewen akanyoresa kuti apinde kosi yokudhirowa mifananidzo yaidzidziswa naJohn Goodwin Lyman. Zvakaitika zvacho, sokuyeuka kunoita Ewen, zvakanga zvisingafadzi. Gore rakatevera akachinjirwa kuChikoro cheArt uye Dhizaini paMontreal Museum of Fine Arts, kwaakadzidza pasi paGoodridge Roberts, Arthur Lismer, Moses Reinblatt, naJacques de Tonnancour. Ewen pane dzimwe nguva aiyeuka nguva iyi, yaaiva akabatwa mumugwagwa waGoodridge uye "mamiriro okunze anonzwira tsitsi", echirongwa chacho, se"mazuva anofadza zvikurusa oupenyu [hwake]".