A Path Forward Exhibit
Public consultation has closed. The exhibit will be discussed at a special Committee of the Whole meeting on April 27. The staff report and meeting agenda can be found in "Important Links" on the right.
Background
The "Holding Court" sculpture is a bronze portrait created by artist Ruth Abernethy. The sculpture depicts a young Macdonald winning his first court case in the Picton Courthouse on October 8, 1834. A few months after that case, Macdonald became an attorney in Picton and began his law career. Macdonald practiced law in Picton until the summer of 1835 when he moved to Kingston and opened a law practice. Macdonald would go on to play a central role in Confederation and serve as Canada's first prime minister in 1867.
The Macdonald Project of Prince Edward County commissioned the "Holding Court" sculpture and presented it to the County of Prince Edward to celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of Sir John A. Macdonald in 2015. The County installed the sculpture on Picton Main Street on Canada Day 2015.
The statue was moved to storage in 2019 after a change in ownership at the Picton Armoury, with the new owners paying for its relocation to the forecourt of the Picton Library. The statue's return in early 2020 became a catalyst for a community conversation that coincided with a national reckoning about Sir John A. Macdonald's past within the broader context of colonialism in Canada.
Following the discovery of unmarked graves on the grounds of the former Kamloops Residential School in the summer of 2021, County Council held a special meeting where the public offered their comments. After hearing from the community, Council decided to remove the sculpture from Picton Main Street and directed staff to determine a future public location for the sculpture.
Proposed "Path Forward"
The County of Prince Edward is proposing "a path forward" whereby the "Holding Court" sculpture of Sir John A. Macdonald would be part of a permanent and evolving exhibit at Macaulay Church. The interactive exhibit would explore the local community’s reckoning with the national tragedy of the Indian Residential School system and encourage further reflection about the process of advancing truth and reconciliation.
The proposed plan for "A Path Forward" is informed by the deputations made at the special Council meetings in November 2020 and June 2021. The exhibit, developed in partnership with the Tsi Tyónnheht Onkwawén:na Language and Cultural Centre and the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund, would feature three distinctive spaces:
First Space
The first space in the exhibit would include the "Holding Court" sculpture where visitors learn why and how the sculpture was commissioned. This space would also tell the story of how the sculpture ignited a community conversation around the national reckoning with the legacy of a school system that removed and separated 150,000 Indigenous children from their families and communities.
Second Space
The second space would tell the story of Chanie Wenjack curated by the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund. Chanie was a victim of the Indian Residential School system who died trying to walk the 600 kilometres back to his home and community. Gord Downie, renowned musician and former South Bay resident, was inspired to tell Chanie's story through music, art and film in hopes of encouraging all peoples in Canada to take action and move forward on the journey toward reconciliation.
Third Space
The third space would be curated by the Tsi Tyónnheht Onkwawén:na (TTO) Language and Cultural Centre and explore the local impact of residential schools, the impact on survivors, and the legacy that must be overcome on the path toward reconciliation.
About the partners
The Tsi Tyónnheht Onkwawén:na (TTO) Language and Cultural Centre was established in 2000 by a group of community members concerned with the revitalization of the Mohawk language in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. The organization's name means "keeping the words alive." Services provided by the organization include a nursery program, a Mohawk immersion elementary school, an adult learning program, and other community resources. TTO is a not-for-profit serving the Tyendinaga community and all of those seeking to learn about their proud culture.
Inspired by Chanie’s story and Gord’s call to build a better Canada, the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund aims to build cultural understanding and create a path toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. The Fund's goal is to improve the lives of Indigenous people by building awareness, education, and connections between all peoples in Canada.