Toppled

Macdonald statue to be removed from Main Street

Just seven months after council voted in favour of keeping the Sir John A. Macdonald statue on Picton’s Main Street, that decision was reversed Monday. A special council meeting was convened by Prince Edward County mayor Steve Ferguson in light of the 215 unidentified children’s remains discovered in unmarked burial sites at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia. Council voted 13 to 1 (opposed was Councillor Brad Nieman), in a recorded vote requested by Councillor Janice Maynard, in favour of removing the Holding Court sculpture of Sir John A. Macdonald, which is located in front of the Picton branch library on Picton Main Street. Sir John A. Macdonald was Canada’s first prime minister, and a resident of Prince Edward County at some point.

Councillor Ernie Margetson, one of only two councillors (the other being Councillor Kate MacNaughton) who voted against keeping the statue last November, put forward a motion to have the statue removed from its current location. “Having the commemoration of Macdonald on Main Street can be hurtful or offensive to some people, and I still maintain that position today,” said Margetson. “I know Macdonald history in the County and that history never goes away,” he said. “If we remove the statue, it doesn’t change the facts of Macdonald and his connection to the community.” Margetson’s motion proposed the sculpture be stored in a secure storage facility until such time a decision and discussions can ensue on finding a suitable new public location. A maximum timeframe to complete discussions with the owner and the artist, with an invitation extended for input from Indigenous peoples, was given as March 31, 2022. CAO Marcia Wallace confirmed the statue could be moved quickly with staff resources at no significant cost.

“I can’t recall any matter that has come before council that has so polarized our community and stirred such emotional responses,” said Mayor Steve Ferguson. “Quite apart from correspondence, there has been threatening and accusatory language over opposing viewpoints; there have been insults about members of council and staff,” he said. “The comments this evening were passionate and heartfelt and they were expressed with sincerity.”

About 40 members of the public registered to provide comments at the four-and-a-half hour virtual meeting, which saw around 200 people view the meeting. Mayor Ferguson also noted the hundreds of text messages, phone calls and emails received from the public on a very contentious issue. Ferguson reminded council how the municipality has certain obligations under its agreement with the donor of the sculpture and the artist, which include a requirement for security for protection of the sculpture. Councillor John Hirsch noted he was disappointed very few members of the public who commented took the time to appreciate the predicament the municipality finds itself in with the contract that was entered into. “We have an obligation to ensure and protect from vandalism and place it in public view,” said Hirsch. “We really do have an issue of public safety.”

While the agenda item specifically referred to discussion of the sculpture as it pertains to public safety and the municipality’s contractual obligations, most comments skirted the point and spoke to the broader issue of residential schools and reconciliation generally, something Councillor Andreas Bolik called as a point of order several times.

While the vast majority of public comments came with impassioned pleas saying the statue needed to go, the highly charged, often emotional commentary delivered many personal stories, opinions and history lessons, as well as hearing from individuals with connections to Indigenous peoples. Several individuals expressed a desire to have the statue maintained in its Main Street location while providing an educational component. A few noted how Sir John A. Macdonald had nothing to do with residential schools, citing the dates the schools operated compared to the timing of Macdonald’s death. “Residential schools were made mandatory in 1920, that was 29 years after Macdonald’s death,” Councillor Roberts noted.

David MacKinnon noted Macdonald died in 1891 and the Kamloops residential school opened three years later. “In 1900, the average lifespan was about 48 years of age in Canada and people died very young; we really need to understand the causes of these deaths, we need that understanding before we taken any action,” said MacKinnon, who added, “Leave the statue where it is, but make sure there is appropriate education that accompanies it.” Hillier resident John Caliendo said, “No contractual obligation on earth can ever trump a moral imperative.”

Lila Stanners said, “Statues are not history, they are commemorations and celebrations of particular values that people want to enshrine, embody and project in public spaces for future generations.”

Back in November 2020 when it was agreed the installation would remain, staff were given two actions to implement. One was to work on an arts policy before September 2021, the other was to create contextual wording to accompany the sculpture. “We were asked to develop some wording that could be companion to the sculpture for a more contextualized understanding,” said Wallace. “That has proved very difficult to draft to do justice to the context.” Wallace said some conversations have taken place with the artist and the donor, and with the Mohawks of Bay of Quinte band council. “We are not in a place where we are satisfied we have something that would answer the questions that were given in November, and frankly, where this conversation has been going in the community.”

Councillor Phil St-Jean asked how council ensures public safety of an asset of the municipality. “I have difficulty with any group, individual or organization that commits crimes to further their cause,” said St-Jean. “We all know that has occurred in our community and I find that extremely upsetting, and we have an obligation to our residents to ensure their safety,” he said. “I am uncomfortable seeing members of our community who are peacefully protesting and voicing their opinions in the street being attacked, and I am also upset at certain members attacking a piece of artwork,” expressed St-Jean. “This is causing much strife in our community and I cannot live with that.”

“Like it or not, the likeness of John A. Macdonald has become the symbol of the Canadian government’s policy of cultural genocide,” said Sarah Crawford. “If we allow a statue to honour him, what does that say about us?” she asked. It boils down to two groups, said Councillor Mike Harper. “One who want to see a John A. Macdonald statue and want to celebrate it, and there is another group who don’t want to be made to see it,” he said. Harper noted he personally hadn’t appreciated the magnitude of emotion surrounding the issue. “I feel much clearer in my mind that the issue isn’t going away: a meaningful compromise is what we have to shoot for and an education plaque doesn’t cut it.” Hillier resident Warren Kinsella noted how he is living in the house where Macdonald received his mail when he worked in Picton as a young laywer. He also shared that his daughter is Indigenous. “Statues of men like Sir John A. Macdonald, as lifeless as they are, still hurt the living,” Kinsella said. The meeting is available for viewing on the County’s YouTube channel.