Some excitement was generated here in Canada when Victoria’s mayor announced that a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald would be removed from city hall. While Sir John A. Macdonald was Canada’s first prime minister, his reputation is tainted by his establishment of residential schools. The purpose of these schools was to separate Indigenous children from their families and strip them of Indigenous languages and culture. Aside from forced enrolment, the schools were also infamous for sexual and physical abuse. The last one closed in the 1980s, so this issue isn’t ancient history either.
Victoria’s mayor has confirmed that the statue is in storage, but the simple act of removal generated a wave of backlash. The removal was a move towards reconciliation, trying to restore more friendly relations with the Indigenous community in Victoria. Of course, the people who lack empathy, understanding (or both) just complain about Canadian history being removed.
Firstly, removing this statue doesn’t erase Macdonald’s legacy as the first prime minister. Macdonald is still revered in school curriculums and in the hearts and minds of many Canadians, if the backlash is any indication. It is not the backlash itself that baffles me, but some of the arguments. In particular, Tourism Minister Sylvia Jones tried to argue that we can’t judge historical figures by today’s standards.
Using that argument, we shouldn’t criticize the slave trade or Jim Crow either. After all, the people then knew no better. Such a lazy copout, coming from a political figure, is outright disturbing. What’s even more disturbing is the blind rejection of the motives behind the removal.
As Victoria’s mayor, Lisa Helps, said, the decision was made without discussing it with the wider community. Why? Because Helps knew the conversation wouldn’t be productive. People would cling to “history” as a reason for keeping the statue, the same way Unite the Right white supremacists used that excuse to defend statues of Confederate figures. Helps consulted with the Indigenous community. Their history with Macdonald is different, so it was important to hear their side and focus on that side.
At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if a Canadian Unite the Right rally popped up demanding for the statue to be reinstated. Make Canada Great Again.
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