In a recent packed meeting, the municipal council of Prince Edward County missed a chance to do the right thing: reinstall the statue of Sir John A. Macdonald in the picturesque town of Picton.
A Missed Opportunity for Leadership
By a vote of 8-6, councillors rejected the start of a consultative process to restore the statue of Macdonald, which was removed from Main Street in June 2021 amid repeated vandalism. The councillors could have shown leadership by joining with Queen's Park and Wilmot in restoring this symbol of Canadian heritage.
The Statue's Significance
The lovely statue depicts a young Sir John A. arguing his first court case in Picton, where he lived as a young man and began his career. From that humble start, he went on to lead the push for Confederation, establishing Canada with four provinces, and served as its first prime minister. He was the key figure in uniting the colonies and expanding the country from coast to coast.
The statue's installation in 2015 was the culmination of a decade-long community effort and fundraising drive spearheaded by local residents who donated the statue to the municipality. For six years, it stood in Picton, greeting passersby who could learn about Macdonald's early years in the town.
The Context of Removal
In 2021, this statue became one of nine that were torn down by protesters or removed by local authorities, all arising from the white-hot emotions that flowed from the discovery of potential graves at the former Kamloops residential school. In a short period, too short for reasoned debate, Macdonald was solely convicted for the mistakes of an entire society that started long before he took office and continued long after he left.
No one wishes to downplay the issue of residential schools or the historical mistreatment of Indigenous Canadians. This is a different issue — the rightful place of our first prime minister in our public spaces.
A Changing Perspective
For the longest time, Canadians rightly honoured him. We can sense that we lost something when the statues were removed. Fortunately, things may be changing. Canadians now have a better understanding of Macdonald's role in residential schools. With the passage of time and the benefit of hindsight, we can see that we acted too rashly in removing these statues.
Last summer, the Ontario legislature removed the protective boards that covered the Macdonald statue at Queen's Park. The township of Wilmot, outside Kitchener, bravely decided last July to restore its Macdonald statue. The councillors of Prince Edward County were presented with their opportunity to do the same.
Support for Restoration
In support of the statue's re-installation were local residents, business leaders, and two prominent historians with deep knowledge of our prime ministers. Six of the 14 local politicians calmly and intelligently pleaded for a sensible way forward to restore the statue, despite being berated and defamed as white supremacists and confronted with sinister threats of more vandalism.
