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Toronto Star
11-06-2025
- 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.
Hamilton Spectator
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
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 legislature is being uncovered. Workers have put a protective coating on the bronze figure gazing south down University Avenue along with a plaque acknowledging his controversial role in creating residential schools where thousands of Indigenous children died after being taken from their families. The statue was covered 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. Workers unveil the statue. 'Violence and acts of vandalism will not be tolerated, and the Legislative Protective Service will actively monitor the statue and grounds.' Officers were keeping a close eye on the statue as the uncovering proceeded Wednesday morning. A plaque in front of the statue states 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 was made by the legislature's all-party board of internal economy last month to removed the hoarding, Indigenous New Democrat MPP Sol Mamakwa (Kiiwetinoong) — who survived residential schools — made it clear he was hurt by the move and warned it 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. There have been criticisms that the plaque now in place does not say more about the controversy over Macdonald and many suggestions have been made about how to deal with his statue, such as moving it into a museum where its context can be better explored or a building a monument on residential schools nearby. Tiny shoes 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 began 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 , where the search for unmarked graves is expected to take years.
