Kingston prepares to remove Sir John A. Macdonald Statue from City Park
As the city of Kingston prepares to remove the Sir John A Macdonald statue from City Park, residents are reacting to the news the monument will be relocated.
On Wednesday evening, city council voted to remove the statue from the park, place it in a temporary location, with the goal of giving it a new home in the Cataraqui Cemetary, which is a National Historic Site where Canada's first prime minister is buried.
The decision to remove the statue from City Park follows a week of peaceful protests by Indigenous residents and allies in the park.
Indigenous residents told CTV News Ottawa they weren’t prepared to speak yet, but ally Viktor Thorson said he’d been at the event, which consists of a sacred fire and ceremony.
"My first reaction was a spark of joy but also a sense of resolve," he says.
Thorson says the atmosphere is one of momentary relief.
"I heard from people, 'I don’t come to this part of town because I don’t want to see this figure on a pedestal,'" Thorson says. "And I think at the very least when the physical marker is removed then some healing may be able to take place."
Kingston’s connection with Macdonald runs deep, and the city considers itself to be Macdonald’s hometown. Some are disappointed to see the statue being moved.
Resident Mark O'Farrell spoke about Macdonald's legacy and connection to the region during Wednesday's Council meeting.
"He was one of the founders of this country. A country that is today revered as one of the best to live," he said. "He was prime minister of Canada and he built the railroad that binds Canadians from coast-to-coast."
The statue will go into temporary storage, and the city will begin consultations with Indigenous members of the community.
In an interview Thursday morning with CTV News, Mayor Bryan Paterson called the decision to move it the best possible compromise.
"Those that are calling for the statue to be removed, the statue is being removed," he said. "Those that are concerned about removing history, that's not going to happen. The statue will remain. There’s a commitment that it will continue to be displayed."
The Limestone Public School Board also voted Wednesday to remove the name of Canada’s first prime minster from a school in the east end.
Paterson says Indigenous groups will be consulted on the statues destination and display in the coming weeks.
"This is all a chance for a community conversation," he explained.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Police investigating shooting outside of Drake's Bridle Path mansion: source
Toronto police are investigating a shooting that took place outside of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion early Tuesday morning, a source tells CP24.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Highlights from the 2024 Met Gala exhibit: Sleeping Beauty would wake up for these gowns
Sure, she was a royal princess and all. But there’s no way Sleeping Beauty — either before or after her nap — ever had quite the fabulous wardrobe that’s been assembled at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Stormy Daniels is expected to appear at Trump's hush money trial on Tuesday
Donald Trump returns to the hush money trial Tuesday facing a threat of jail time for additional gag order violations as prosecutors gear up to summon big-name witnesses including porn actor Stormy Daniels.
Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife's edge.