The boards around the Sir John A. Macdonald statue at the foot of the Queen’s Park estate in downtown Toronto are set to come down, roughly half a decade after he was first covered up.
During a summer of protests in 2020, a box was placed around the iconic statue of Canada’s first prime minister — a move Ontario’s then-speaker said was to protect it from vandals.
Years of indecision over the future of the statue followed, as a legislative committee failed to agree on a path forward for it and how to balance Macdonald’s controversial legacy.
A recent committee motion, however, appears to have paved the path for the boxes around the statue to be removed. A suggestion from Education Minister Paul Calandra, seconded by Ontario Liberal MPP John Fraser, was accepted by the committee.
The decision was ultimately endorsed by all parties at Queen’s Park.
Progressive Conservative Government House Leader Steve Clark said the changes would be made in close consultation with First Nations leaders.
“This is really, really important that we get this right, that we listen to all voices,” he said.
“I can’t change the history of our country, but I can make sure that while we’re here, while we move forward, we do it in a way that listens to Indigenous voices.”
Macdonald has seen his role in establishing modern Canada, including systems like residential schools, come under intense scrutiny in recent years.
The name and likeness of Macdonald, along with that of Egerton Ryerson, seen as the architect of Canada’s residential school system, was removed around the country in 2020 as Canada re-evaluated its history and the figures honoured.
Around the same time, the City of Toronto decided to remove the name of Henry Dundas from the city’s downtown Yonge-Dundas Square, and students toppled a statue of Ryerson at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Macdonald’s name was removed from several schools in Ontario.
While the boards around the statue will be removed, a government committee will continue to study Macdonald, how he should be remembered and how Indigenous voices should be reflected in the design of the entire Queen’s Park precinct.
The precise timeline for the statue of Canada’s first prime minister to be displayed again at Queen’s Park is not yet decided.
Clark said the how and when would be decided by Speaker Donna Skelly.
“In terms of security, we do have 24-7 security here at Queen’s Park, they will be focusing on the statue once the hoarding has been removed,” she told reporters.
“Hopefully, if people do show up, they are more than welcome to express their views about the statue itself. If they want to protest, they’re more than welcome to protest, it is a democratic house and we welcome all people with different views.”
Putting the statue back on display will involve cleaning it as well as removing the boards on the outside. A protective film is also planned for the statue to limit the effects of any other potential protests.
Skelly said the aim was to have the statue fully unveiled again by the summer.