City still considering John A. Macdonald statue options, Charlottetown mayor says

The mayor of Charlottetown says the city is still working its way through the process of deciding the next steps for the John A. Macdonald statue in the city's downtown.

The presence of the statue has created controversy because of Macdonald's role in the creation of residential schools for Indigenous people.

At a meeting in June, city council voted unanimously to keep the statue but to make modifications, but in January it was still at odds with local Indigenous leaders about what changes should be made.

On Sunday evening, a bowl of what seemed to be seafood chowder was dumped on the statue's head.

It didn't cost any money to hose off the chowder, but the city paid $1,200 to have yellow paint removed from the statue earlier in the weekend.

Back in the summer, it also spent $1,700 to clean up red paint. It was tipped over in September, but that did not cost any money in repairs.

Mayor Philip Brown said he doesn't think the individual actions against the statue are representative of the views of the city of Charlottetown.

"There will be issues. I know that and I feel that this vandalism or this defacing of this public piece of art is not acceptable," said Brown.

"But some individuals are very passionate about this and, for me, I do not want to create a wedge issue."

Indigenous groups on P.E.I. said there has not been adequate consultation. 

The Epekwitk Assembly of Councils, a joint forum that governs Mi'kmaw organizations that act in the shared interest of Abegweit First Nation and Lennox Island First Nation, issued a statement at the end of January.

They put forward five recommendations: 

• Add another figure such as an Indigenous child or elder.

• Fill in or seal off the empty space on the bench so it can't be used for photo opportunities.

• Install signage so viewers understand "the devastating role that Sir John A. Macdonald played in the Indigenous history of Canada."

• If the artist engaged is not Indigenous, a Mi'kmaw artist should be hired as a consultant.

• Complete the work as soon as reasonably possible with elements in place by spring at the latest.

They had also indicated they hoped while work was underway that signage would have been immediately placed on the bench to inform people it was being updated and to remove the photo opportunity.

The Native Council of P.E.I. (NCPEI) conducted a survey in September 2020 to gather feedback. It said in a statement that its stance was to "support the majority decision of its community and advocate for the removal of the statue."

The council statement said they are "discouraged by the lack of timely response and proactive engagement on behalf of the city council with NCPEI."

Both organizations said they are open to further discussions with the city, but only if they are meaningful.

City still working on it

The mayor says the city is still working through the process and consulting before taking any final action.

Because of the resolution passed in June, the mayor said council is bound to keeping the statue in place — but another resolution of council could change that.

Brown said those with concerns should reach out to council and city hall, but no formal public consultation process has been launched

"My response is that we're working on it. It's just that we have a lot of hurdles, a lot of hoops to go through," Brown said. "It will take place but patience is very important for this process."

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