BATTLE LINES

An Ontario teachers’ union has called for the removal of Sir John A. Macdonald’s name from public schools.

THE MOTION

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) last week passed a resolution asking school boards to consider striking Macdonald's name “in recognition of his central role as the architect of genocide against Indigenous Peoples“while he was the country's first prime minister. ETFO president Sam Hammond said, “This is a global conversation that's happening around the world ... about taking down statues, about replacing them, about renaming things, it is a healthy debate we are having about this issue.”

THE TEACHER

“There's no doubt, they're not comfortable things to talk about, but it doesn't make them any less necessary to talk about and to acknowledge.” — Felipe Pareja, the teacher who brought forward the motion,

THE REACTION

“While I don't doubt that the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario are coming from a good place, I think they have missed the mark ... He is an important part of our history ... We need to teach our children the full history of this country — including colonialism, our Indigenous peoples and their history and about what our founders did to create Canada and make it the country it is today.” — Premier Kathleen Wynne in a statement saying Sir John A. was “far from perfect”.

“I'm proud to have the names of Canada's founding fathers on Ontario schools,” — Patrick Brown, leader of the Ontario Tories, who tweeted Thursday his support for the “founding father.”

“One of the hallmarks in Sir John's career in helping give life to Canada is also this issue of being the chief architect of colonization. At one point, this becomes out and out genocide.” — Timothy Stanley, interim director of the Institute of Canadian and Aboriginal Studies and a professor in the faculty of education at the University of Ottawa.

“I thought it was pretty bold, but a pretty progressive move.” — Tori Cress, a member of Idle No More's Ontario chapter.