The Robert McLaughlin Gallery was incorporated in 1967 to '...meet the growing and diverse needs of its community through the advancement and appreciation of the visual arts.' The public trust objectives of the Gallery have always stressed collection, preservation, and conservation of fine art, particularly related to Canadian arts and culture, as well as the exhibition and interpretation of the collection through educational programming. The Gallery’s collection and resources are available for research, and the Gallery strives to serve the educational, intellectual, and aesthetic needs of the community both locally and nationally, while collaborating with other galleries that have similar goals.

The Gallery fulfills its mandate in three specific areas of activity: exhibitions, educational outreach, and community programming. The motivation for all activity is: to tell the story of Canadian art, its history and its current state; to provide challenging art experiences, formal and informal, through exhibitions and education for all ages; and to actively engage the local community in the wider possibilities of meaning and enjoyment in art.