Montreal's John A Macdonald statue not to be resurrected after being toppled by mob: committee

The statue of Canada's first Prime Minister that was toppled by a mob during the summer of 2020 will not be put back up, a city-manded committee has decided.

The statue of John A. Macdonald was a symbol of assimilation and genocide against Indigenous communities, the committee of public servants and academics said.



“Considering the assimilative and genocidal policies Macdonald implemented against Indigenous Peoples, and the discriminatory acts he perpetrated against several other groups of people, the consequences of which are still painful and palpable for many communities, the committee believes it is necessary to distance ourselves from this legacy,” the committee wrote, according to Global News.

The statue, which stood for over 100 years, was toppled and beheaded by Defund the Police protestors. The base of the statue and canopy have remained empty since its toppling. No arrests were made following the toppling.

Macdonald has become a controversial character in Canada's story. Macdonald signed the Indian Act, which aimed to "do away with the tribal system and assimilate the Indian people in all respects with the other inhabitants of the Dominion as speedily as they are fit to change."

The committee suggests that the statue be replaced with an artistic reinterpretation that does away with colonial symbols. 

"The committee does not rule out the use of the bronze statue or its image in a renewed interpretation. If this project does not involve the reuse of the bronze statue, what will happen to it remains to be determined."