Latest news with #LegislativeProtectiveService
CBC
3 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
Sir John A. Macdonald statue at Queen's Park visible to public for 1st time in 5 years
Social Sharing The public can once again see the statue of John A. Macdonald outside Queens Park. The statue had been surrounded by wooden hoarding for the past five years. It was first covered up in 2020 after demonstrators threw pink paint on it amid wave of protests across the country that took aim at Macdonald as Canadians grappled with the history of residential schools. Workers took down the hoarding Wednesday after a legislative committee voted to remove the covering last month. "As Speaker, I recognize the sensitivities surrounding the history of Canada's first Prime Minister and I welcome all Ontarians to express their views — peacefully," Speaker Donna Skelly said in a statement about the removal of the hoarding. "Violence and acts of vandalism will not be tolerated, and the Legislative Protective Service will actively monitor the statue and grounds." Children's shoes that were placed at the base of the statue after the discovery of possible unmarked graves on the grounds of former residential schools were "carefully and respectfully" removed and stored prior to the removal of the hoarding, the statement says. The question of what to do with the monument of Canada's first Prime Minister has been controversial. Macdonald is considered an architect of the country's residential school system that took Indigenous children from their families in an effort to assimilate them. WATCH | The complicated legacy of Canada's first PM: The controversy around John A. MacDonald's complicated legacy 7 years ago Duration 10:09 Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. MacDonald, has a controversial and complicated legacy. He's called the father of Confederation, but some say his policies that hurt Indigenous people mean he shouldn't be honoured with statues and tributes across the country. The National talks to people on both sides of the debate. The NDP's Sol Mamakwa is a residential school survivor, and the only First Nation member at Queen's Park. He has said the statue is a source of pain. "It's not just a statue," he said last month after the decision to uncover the statue was made. "It's a statue of oppression. It is a statue of colonialism. It is a statue of Indian residential schools." Skelly says she hopes a committee will approve a monument recognizing those who attended residential schools and said Mamakwa would be welcome to join that committee.
Toronto Star
4 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Statue of Sir John A. Macdonald outside Queen's Park uncovered after five years
After five years behind protective hoarding, the 1894 statue of Sir John A. Macdonald on the front lawn of the Ontario legislature is now uncovered. Workers have put a protective coating on the bronze figure, which gazes south down University Avenue, along with a plaque hinting at Macdonald's controversial role in creating residential schools, where thousands of Indigenous children died after being taken from their families. The statue had been boxed in after repeated acts of vandalism. 'I recognize the sensitivities surrounding the history of Canada's first prime minister and I welcome all Ontarians to express their views — peacefully,' Donna Skelly, Speaker of the legislature, said in a statement Wednesday. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Workers unveil the statue. Rob Ferguson 'Violence and acts of vandalism will not be tolerated, and the Legislative Protective Service will actively monitor the statue and grounds.' Officers kept a close eye on the statue as it was uncovered Wednesday and throughout the day. A plaque in front of the statue says in part 'though we cannot change the history we inherited, we can shape the history we wish to leave behind' and notes officials at the legislature, including a committee of MPPs, are considering how Indigenous history can be better represented in the building and on its grounds. When the decision to remove the hoarding was made by the legislature's all-party board of internal economy last month, Indigenous New Democrat MPP Sol Mamakwa (Kiiwetinoong) — who survived residential schools — made it clear he was hurt by the move and warned the statue remains a target. 'It might come down, it might get spray-painted. I don't know. But let them learn,' he told reporters. 'We are still trying to find our kids, our ancestors, in these residential schools,' he added, referring to ground radar searches for graves in former school locations across Canada. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW There has been criticism that the plaque now in place does not say more about the controversy over Macdonald. Many suggestions have been made about how to deal with the statue, such as moving it into a museum where its context can be better explored or a building a monument to residential schools nearby. Tiny shoes that had been placed in front of the boarded-up statue in tribute to residential schoolchildren have been 'carefully and respectfully removed' and stored. Some left there years ago had already been moved into the legislature and included in an exhibit of Indigenous art called the Gathering Place. Residential schools were opened in 1883 under Macdonald's government, and the last one closed in 1996. About 150,000 Indigenous children were removed from their homes and forced into a system likened to apartheid and genocide. In its 2015 report, Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission initially counted 3,201 deaths at the schools. The search for unmarked graves at former school sites is expected to continue for years. Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.
