Removing statue hides the truth
It would be nice if Sir John A. Macdonald were a saint. He was not.
Canada's first prime minister was a flawed man. He was involved in great projects (think railroad) and he played a role in other more shameful initiatives (residential schools).
Regardless of where you stand on his place in our collective history, he has one. He was Canada's first prime minister, nothing we do today will change that. What we can control, however, is how his deeds are recorded. We need to present the whole truth about Sir John A – good and bad. Like many other people and deeds throughout history, we can learn from them. But only if we choose to.
Take, for instance, the views of Jonathan Hamel, an Inuk man. On Wednesday of this week, the Belfast, P.E.I. resident paid a visit to the Sir John A. Macdonald statue in downtown Charlottetown, the future of which is now being debated in the public eye and by Charlottetown city councillors, after appeals to remove the statue were received by city officials.
During his Wednesday visit, Hamel attached a sheet of paper featuring what he calls the balance of history pertaining to Canada’s first prime minister. The current plaque next to the statue of Macdonald explains that he was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and describes his role in Confederation.
His function as the architect of residential schools, which separated Indigenous children from their parents and led to abuse and problems that have festered for more than a century, is notably absent.
Removing our ancestors' more painful deeds does nothing to combat racism. It just makes some people feel less guilty.
We can’t erase Sir John A. Macdonald from history, nor should we. But we can learn and grow from what we know about him; but not just from him. Human history is chock-full of injustices against all types of people in every corner of the world – one just has to be the minority to experience it.
Removing statues from public places may make some feel good about themselves, that they were part of something. In actuality, it does nothing to solve the real issues related to racism that need to be addressed.
Ask yourself this: What did removing statue “X” do to solve systematic racism? How are marginalized minorities living in poverty better off today because of the removal of a statue? Did eliminating statues produce a better education for them? Did it result in stronger social programs? Did it prevent any deaths?
The answer to each question is no. While we work on real action towards educating and someday eliminating racism, may we suggest another statue to visit. A bronze image of Mi'Kmaw runner Michael Thomas in Stratford's waterfront park commemorates the first Islander to ever run in the Boston Marathon in 1911. There's a statue we can wholeheartedly support.