"Holding Court" John A. Macdonald Statue
Consultation has concluded
Public feedback for this project has now closed.
The “Holding Court” John A. Macdonald statue will remain in its current location on Picton Main Street following a decision by County Council at a special meeting on Tuesday, November 17. Read more on the County of Prince Edward website.
The Sir John A. Macdonald statue "Holding Court" was returned from storage to Picton Main Street at the Picton Library in early 2020 (after its original installation in 2015). Its return was a catalyst for conversation about Sir John A. Macdonald's past, within the broader context of colonialism. From this conversationContinue reading
Public feedback for this project has now closed.
The “Holding Court” John A. Macdonald statue will remain in its current location on Picton Main Street following a decision by County Council at a special meeting on Tuesday, November 17. Read more on the County of Prince Edward website.
The Sir John A. Macdonald statue "Holding Court" was returned from storage to Picton Main Street at the Picton Library in early 2020 (after its original installation in 2015). Its return was a catalyst for conversation about Sir John A. Macdonald's past, within the broader context of colonialism. From this conversation came the Prince Edward County Public Library's Speaker Series (Dr. Niigan Sinclair, Sarah Midanik, Kateri Lucier-Laboucan and Calvin Brook) addressed the need for projects which aim to restore Indigenous presence within communities, among other things. Other speakers were scheduled into March, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused the series to be cancelled due to public health measures.
The "Holding Court" Statue Working Group" was formed under the Prince Edward Heritage Advisory Committee (PEHAC) to conduct public consultation, research and ultimately to make recommendations to PEHAC about the future of the "Holding Court" statue. Their mandate is to advise PEHAC in their recommendation to Council in regard to the current installation in Picton of the "Holding Court" Sir John A. Macdonald statue.
Their goals are as follows:
- Follow the scope of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 10 Principles of Truth and Reconciliation
- Conduct research, carry out public consultation and prepare documentation, as necessary, to assist PEHAC in their recommendation to assist Council in their decision on the future of the Holding Court" statue
- Assist staff to prepare a report to PEHAC and ultimately Council by December 1, 2020, or as soon as feasible, outlining a recommendation for the future of the "Holding Court" statue.
Through this Have Your Say public engagement page, the Working Group will share information relevant to the public discussion, including their terms of reference, the 10 Principles of Truth and Reconciliation, and other documents (located in "Resources").
The Working Group would like to hear your views on what should be done with the "Holding Court" statue.
Individuals and organizations can tell the Working Group their views:
- Directly (in person or virtually) by presenting deputations (see "Deputation Guidelines" for more information on making public deputations)
- During a Town Hall event planned for Fall 2020.
- Via email to: ecowan@pecounty.on.ca
- By fax at: 613.476.5727
- By mail to: The "Holding Court” Statue Working Group, c/o County of Prince Edward, 332 Main Street, Picton, ON, K0K 2T0.
Please note that deputations and all comments are public.
Please explore the feedback options available on this page (below) to give your feedback. Register for updates to this page to get notified when new consultation tools are added as the Working Group progresses towards their goal.
In the words of Dr. Niigan Sinclair during his address in Picton, "What do we do with this history we have inherited together?"
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What is your idea?
over 1 year agoCLOSED: This brainstormer has concluded.What do you think should be done with the Holding Court statue?
Marg Trippover 1 year agoKeep it as Macdonald was a very important part of Canadian history. No one lives a perfect life, free of mistakes.
0 comment0Grayson Pollardover 1 year agoKeep the statue!
Sir John A. MacDonald created this country. We need to save our history.
0 comment1Andrew Janikowskiover 1 year agoKeep the statue
This man has warts. But who doesn’t. He is however the man who was responsible for this great nation we call Canada. Without him, the colonies would have slowly been swallowed up by the emerging United States of America. And who would really want that. I, for one, am very proud of the man who was able to convince many sceptics to give the concept of a Canadian nation a try. My suggestion - keep the statue but have a resource available closeby to explain, in an unemotional and factual way (no drama queens needed), what the controversy is all about.
0 comment0Breanna Nobesover 1 year agoRemove the Statue
Statues are placed to honour someone, not recognize a man that helped start a genocide. Everyone that is proud of him are probably the same people that said to “hit the Indigenous peoples with the trains” during the local CN blockade.. Embarrassing to see so many people support such ideas in our community. Considering we have so many local ties to Tyendinaga. It’s time for a POSITIVE change. SJAM called them savages yet the only savage was him and his supporters. Maybe we should also be considerate of our neighbours and ask them how they feel, or the families of the children that were separated from their homes and then abused at these schools. It doesn’t take much of your time to just do some actual research on the topic. Educate yourself, please. There are some good movies/docs on it.
0 comment1Matthew Sheahanover 1 year agoMove it to the courthouse
If we're talking about a statue in context, being at the courthouse would make the most sense. Also, curate an exhibit of his early life and what came after teaching the whole story. Ignoring history and toeing the line of a false narrative means we're not learning from and evolving based on history. We're sanitizing it. It needs to be moved.
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Resources, Meeting Notes & Agendas
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Agendas & Meeting Notes
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Resources & Further Reading
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Municipal World Podcast - Interview w. Ava Hill Pt. 3
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Municipal World Podcast - Interview w. Ava Hill Pt. 2
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Municipal World Podcast - Interview w. Ava Hill Pt. 1
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The Survivors Speak - Report of the TRC Canada.pdf (8.29 MB) (pdf)
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Ryerson - TRC Community Report.pdf (347 KB) (pdf)
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Framework-for-History-and-Commemoration-2019.pdf (6.55 MB) (pdf)
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Final Report - Working Grp on Principles of Commemoration and Renaming.pdf (937 KB) (pdf)
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United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People.pdf (150 KB) (pdf)
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Truth & Reconclitation Commission, 10 Principles of Reconcilliation.docx (19.9 KB) (docx)
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History of "Holding Court" statue
Deputation Guidelines
Who's Listening
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Heritage Advisory Committee Working Group
County of Prince Edward
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Phone 613-476-2148 x2503 Email ecowan@pecounty.on.ca -
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Project Timeline
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Open
"Holding Court" John A. Macdonald Statue has finished this stageThis consultation is Open for contributions.
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Under Review
"Holding Court" John A. Macdonald Statue has finished this stageContributions to this consultation are closed for evaluation and review. The Project team will report back on key outcomes.
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Final report
"Holding Court" John A. Macdonald Statue is currently at this stageThe final outcomes of the consultation are documented here. This may include a summary of all contributions collected as well as recommendations for future action.