Province moves to reinstate Sir John A. Macdonald statue at Queens Park

A committee at the Ontario legislature has decided to “unbox” a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald five years after it was vandalized during a wave of protests.

The move to reinstate the statue at Queens Park may prove to be contentious. For some, the bronze likeness of Canada’s first prime minister is an important part of Canadian history. For others, it’s a dark reminder of colonial violence and the man responsible for designing the residential school system.

Speaker Donna Skelly says the statue at Queens Park is expected to be uncovered this summer, but the only Indigenous MPP Sol Mamakwa says he wasn’t made aware of the decision before it happened.

“It’s been covered for almost five years, and it’s a different time from when that statue was erected. At that time, women weren’t even considered persons,” Skelly said.

“This is a very different time. We cannot run away from our history, and I think it’s important that we reach out to Indigenous communities and say we want you – I want you to feel part of this Parliament, of this legislature.”

Mamakwa says reinstating the statue will cause pain and anger for Indigenous communities.

“One of the things I’ve mentioned before is, okay, why don’t you put up a memorial for Indian residential schools here at Queens Park,” he told reporters.

“Nobody is understanding – the people that make those decisions. It’s not just a statue, but a statue of oppression and colonialism.”

The statue was vandalized in the summer of 2020 when demonstrators threw pink paint on it amid anti-racism protests and discovery of further evidence of death, violence and abuse at former residential school sites.

Many Indigenous groups say the statue brings back memories of the residential school system – an institution that Canada’s first prime minister was instrumental in bringing to fruition.

Hamilton has its own statue of Sir John A. Macdonald, which was toppled from its usual resting place in Gore Park in August 2021. Demonstrators tore the statue down during a rally that was held in protest of the city’s decision to keep it in place.

Hamilton city officials told CHCH News that the Indigenous relations team will begin reviewing the monument some time after June this year, during the second phase of review of Indigenous landmarks and monuments.

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