Hamilton’s Sir John A. MacDonald society gathered at Gore Park to remember Canada’s first Prime Minister. The event was a celebration of MacDonald’s birthday. Technically, he was born on January 11th in Glasgow but the society celebrates on the closest Sunday at 2 pm. They do it at the Gore Park statue every year. The statue is the first of MacDonald in Canada following his death in 1891. MacDonald has been a controversial figure with critics pointing to his role in creating the residential school system and the Indian Act as reasons not to celebrate him.