The future of a statue of Sir John A. MacDonald that once stood in Picton was a major topic of discussion at Tuesday’s meeting of Prince Edward County Council.
During the meeting council received a deputation from Mark Johnson, from Save Our History, requesting that council look into possibly returning the “Holding Court” statue to it’s position along Picton Main Street.
The statue had been removed and put into storage in 2021 in response to rising controversy surrounding Sir John A. MacDonald and his role in the residential school system. Currently, the statue remains in storage.
In the presentation, Johnson said that Sir John A. MacDonald shouldn’t receive all the blame for the residential school system and that the statue was important for provoking important discussions.
People watching in the audience also spoke about the issue during public comments. While there were a few people speaking in support of the deputation’s request, the majority strongly opposed returning the statue to it’s original spot.
The presentation sparked vigorous debate among the council with Councillor Brad Nieman proposing a motion to have municipal staff consult with stakeholders and look into restoring the statue to it’s former position. Councillor Bill Roberts seconded the motion, saying that it’s important to remember history, even as our understanding of that history evolves.
“In my view, when erasure and boxing up and cancelling becomes the safest form of expression in a society, we have yet another serious problem for liberal democracy,” said Councillor Roberts. “I think public debate should push our way of thinking, push our boundaries a little bit beyond immediate prejudices, beyond social media anger, to places that we haven’t personally considered before or been before.”
Councillor Kate MacNaughton attempted to introduce an amendment to the motion that would still have staff look into the future of the statue, but without any focus on returning it to public display. That motion failed on a recorded vote, with only Councillors MacNaughton, Chris Braney, Corey Engelsdorfer, and Sam Branderhorst voting in favour.
Ultimately, the motion to look into returning the statue failed in a recorded vote. Councillors Janice Maynard, Roy Pennell, Nieman, Roberts, David Harrison, and Phil St-Jean voted in favour.
