Latest news with #SirJohnAMacdonald
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Canada's first PM 'too controversial' for commemoration, federal board rules
Canada's first prime minister has been deemed too 'polarizing and controversial' to warrant any new federally-sponsored commemoration, a federal board recommended. According to reports published Thursday by Blacklock's Reporter, the board recommended that Sir John A. Macdonald — who served as Canada's first and third prime minister — garner no further plaques or commemoration. 'The Board recommended that Sir John A. Macdonald be commemorated by means of information to be made available on the Parks Canada website and that no plaque be erected,' read minutes of a Dec. 12, 2023 meeting of Parks Canada's Historic Sites and Monuments Board, obtained by Blacklock's via an access to information request. The board reviewed and revised Macdonald's designation as a National Historic Person in 2024, which according to a statement on a Parks Canada website on Macdonald's legacy aligns with Call to Action no. 79 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission — calling on the federal government to 'develop a reconciliation framework for Canadian heritage and commemoration.' LILLEY: Sir John A's statue at Queen's Park is free at last WARMINGTON: Sir John A. Macdonald's home reopens with rewritten history Minutes from the meeting suggest members agreed Macdonald is now a 'polarizing and controversial figure in Canadian history' with 'complex' legacies. 'Given that Macdonald continues to be a polarizing figure, the Board noted the challenge of crafting a statement that views him from multiple perspectives and that there will continue to be public dialogue about Macdonald's legacy to present-day Canada,' the meeting's minutes stated. 'The Board then turned to consider whether or not it was appropriate to erect a plaque for Sir John A. Macdonald.' The board concluded that existing statues and commemorations, including his gravesite at Cataraqui Cemetery in Kingston, were sufficient without introducing more. Activism over Macdonald's legacy led to a widespread erasure across Canada, ranging from statues violently toppled to a rash of renamings, including schools and the Ottawa River Parkway — formerly known as the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway as of 2023 is now known as 'Kichi Zibi Mikan.' A statue of Sir John A. Macdonald at Queen's Park, unveiled in 1894, spent five years enclosed in a wooden box until the coverings were removed earlier this month.
National Post
11-06-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Sir John A. Macdonald statue outside Ontario legislature freed after being in a box for five years
TORONTO — The Sir John A. Macdonald statue outside the Ontario legislature is back in full view after spending the past five years in a box. Article content The statue of Canada's first prime minister has been under hoarding since 2020, when it was vandalized with pink paint. Article content Article content The monument was one of many that were targeted across the country amid anti-racism protests and as Canadians grappled with the history of residential schools. Article content Progressive Conservative and Liberal members of a non-partisan board of the legislative assembly agreed earlier this month on a motion to remove the hoarding after the statue is cleaned. Article content Speaker Donna Skelly says she recognizes the sensitivities surrounding Macdonald and welcomes Ontarians to come and share their views peacefully. Article content Article content
CTV News
11-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Sir John A. Macdonald statue now visible outside Queen's Park for first time in nearly 5 years
A statue of Canada's first prime minister John A. MacDonald is seen outside Queen's Park in Toronto on June 11, 2025. (CTV News Toronto) After nearly five years hidden behind plywood, a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald at the edge of Queen's Park is back in the open air. Hoarding and scaffolding that had surrounded the granite likeness of Canada's first prime minister was removed starting Wednesday morning. The statue had been covered since it was splashed with bright pink paint in July 2020 in a summer of protests following the murder of George Floyd, and as Canadians came to terms with history of residential schools. A man places flowers on a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald after demonstrators threw pink paint on it at Queen's Park in Toronto on Saturday, July 18, 2020. The man said it was disappointing to see the statue vandalized and the flower were to show his... A man places flowers on a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald after demonstrators threw pink paint on it at Queen's Park in Toronto on Saturday, July 18, 2020. The man said it was disappointing to see the statue vandalized and the flower were to show his respect to Sir John A. CANADIAN PRESS/Carlos Osorio Across the country, statues of Macdonald—who is considered an architect of the residential school system—became the targets of vandalism. Last month, a committee that has been mulling over what to do with the Macdonald statue at the Ontario legislature voted to clean the statue and remove its covering. John A. MacDonald Hoarding covers the statue of Canada's first prime minister John A. MacDonald outside Queen's Park in Toronto. (CTV News Toronto) The effigy has received a new protective coating to keep paint from sticking and will be under watch by legislative security. Speaker Donna Skelly acknowledged Wednesday that Macdonald is a controversial figure and that the pain from residential schools remains raw. 'It's a part of history that we acknowledge, but we can't change that. What we can change is how we work with and reflect the roles of Indigenous peoples on the grounds of Queen's Park.' Skelly says consultations with Indigenous people will continue, in search of a way to reflect the hurt caused by residential schools while celebrating the contributions Indigenous communities have made. There is no timeline to come to a consensus. At an unrelated event Wednesday, Deputy Premier Sylvia Jones welcomed the unveiling. 'I think it's frankly an exciting day to be reminded and acknowledge our history. And yes, history good and bad,' Jones said. Sir John A. MacDonald Hoarding covering the statue of Canada's first prime minister John A. MacDonald outside Queen's Park in Toronto was removed on Wed. June 11. (CTV News Toronto) Speaking last month about the decision to unbox Macdonald, the eyes of Ontario's only First Nations MPP and a survivor of a residential school filled with tears. 'It's not just a statue,' Sol Mamakwa said. 'It's a statue of oppression. It is a statue of colonialism.' Mamawka was not available for an interview Wednesday but noted on Instagram the statue's uncovering lands during Indigenous History month and on the heels of the passage of Bill 5. The New Democrat MPP has predicted the statue will be vandalized again. Skelly says she welcomes protests and sharing of concerns. 'But, we have to do it peacefully, and we have to do it respectfully, and we have to do it within the law.' She adds that if laws are broken, there will be consequences.
CTV News
11-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Sir John A. Macdonald statue now visible outside Queen's Park for first time in nearly 5 years
A statue of Canada's first prime minister John A. MacDonald is seen outside Queen's Park in Toronto on June 11, 2025. (CTV News Toronto) After nearly five years hidden behind plywood, a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald at the edge of Queen's Park is back in the open air. Hoarding and scaffolding that had surrounded the granite likeness of Canada's first prime minister was removed starting Wednesday morning. The statue had been covered since it was splashed with bright pink paint in July 2020 in a summer of protests following the murder of George Floyd, and as Canadians came to terms with history of residential schools. A man places flowers on a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald after demonstrators threw pink paint on it at Queen's Park in Toronto on Saturday, July 18, 2020. The man said it was disappointing to see the statue vandalized and the flower were to show his... A man places flowers on a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald after demonstrators threw pink paint on it at Queen's Park in Toronto on Saturday, July 18, 2020. The man said it was disappointing to see the statue vandalized and the flower were to show his respect to Sir John A. CANADIAN PRESS/Carlos Osorio Across the country, statues of Macdonald—who is considered an architect of the residential school system—became the targets of vandalism. Last month, a committee that has been mulling over what to do with the Macdonald statue at the Ontario legislature voted to clean the statue and remove its covering. John A. MacDonald Hoarding covers the statue of Canada's first prime minister John A. MacDonald outside Queen's Park in Toronto. (CTV News Toronto) The effigy has received a new protective coating to keep paint from sticking and will be under watch by legislative security. Speaker Donna Skelly acknowledged Wednesday that Macdonald is a controversial figure and that the pain from residential schools remains raw. 'It's a part of history that we acknowledge, but we can't change that. What we can change is how we work with and reflect the roles of Indigenous peoples on the grounds of Queen's Park.' Skelly says consultations with Indigenous people will continue, in search of a way to reflect the hurt caused by residential schools while celebrating the contributions Indigenous communities have made. There is no timeline to come to a consensus. At an unrelated event Wednesday, Deputy Premier Sylvia Jones welcomed the unveiling. 'I think it's frankly an exciting day to be reminded and acknowledge our history. And yes, history good and bad,' Jones said. Sir John A. MacDonald Hoarding covering the statue of Canada's first prime minister John A. MacDonald outside Queen's Park in Toronto was removed on Wed. June 11. (CTV News Toronto) Speaking last month about the decision to unbox Macdonald, the eyes of Ontario's only First Nations MPP and a survivor of a residential school filled with tears. 'It's not just a statue,' Sol Mamakwa said. 'It's a statue of oppression. It is a statue of colonialism.' Mamawka was not available for an interview Wednesday but noted on Instagram the statue's uncovering lands during Indigenous History month and on the heels of the passage of Bill 5. The New Democrat MPP has predicted the statue will be vandalized again. Skelly says she welcomes protests and sharing of concerns. 'But, we have to do it peacefully, and we have to do it respectfully, and we have to do it within the law.' She adds that if laws are broken, there will be consequences.
National Post
10-06-2025
- Politics
- National Post
John Rustad: It's time to end David Eby's nation-building blockade
I recently took a stroll from the B.C. Legislature to the site where the Sir John A. Macdonald statue used to reside in front of Victoria's City Hall. I did so because I am increasingly contemplative about nation-building as it relates to the critical juncture in history, we, as Canadians, currently face. Article content Now, it is without question that our first prime minister had many flaws, all of which have been well-documented in recent years. Yet, what cannot be discounted or disputed, is his leadership in Confederation and the evolution of Canada, facilitated in large part through his dream of building a transcontinental railroad. Article content The Canadian Pacific Railway, as it eventually would come to be known, was Macdonald's path to quelling American settlement desires in the west, expanding the dominion, and entrenching Canadian sovereignty. Article content Article content Today, we sit at a crossroad that is eerily reminiscent those times. The American president continues to openly muse about the annexation of Canada. There is a desperate need to build projects of national interest that grow infrastructure, trade corridors and access to international markets. And collectively, we are facing grave internal threats to preserving the sanctity of Canadian independence, national unity and social cohesion. Article content I am sorry to report that the B.C. government now stands as the country's largest impediment to tackling these dire challenges. More specifically, Premier David Eby is openly demonstrating that he and his cabinet are more concerned with playing divisive politics than doing what is best for the country as well as British Columbians desperate for an economic buffer to their gross fiscal negligence. Article content Article content More concerningly is how they are speaking out of both sides of their mouths in doing so. The prime minister and all of Canada's thirteen premiers just wrapped up a summit in Saskatoon, concluding with a joint statement that committed to 'work urgently to get Canadian natural resources and commodities to domestic and international markets, such as critical minerals and decarbonized Canadian oil and gas by pipelines' which are 'crucial for driving Canadian productivity growth, energy security, and economic competitiveness.' BC was a signatory to the communique. Article content Article content Yet two days later, Eby trotted out his Energy and Climate Solutions Minister Adrian Dix to assert that the idea of a pipeline 'doesn't make sense to us.' Dix went on to declare that 'we have a different view' and emphatically confirmed that 'The premier has expressed very clearly his view of non-support for that.' Article content So, in front of a national audience, the government formally agrees to engage with the rest of the country in fast-tracking energy projects of national significance. Yet when speaking in B.C., the premier has his lieutenants march forth with messages of staunch opposition to any pipeline being built to the province's northern coast.
