Saskatchewan

Sir John A. Macdonald statue removed from Regina's Victoria Park

The Sir John A. Macdonald statue was removed from Regina's Victoria Park on Wednesday morning. 

Regina city council voted 7 to 4 to place the statue in storage while a new location is found

The Sir John A. Macdonald statue was removed from this pedestal in Victoria Park in Regina. (Kirk Fraser/CBC)

The Sir John A. Macdonald statue was removed from Regina's Victoria Park on Wednesday morning. 

The City of Regina said the removal of the statue was not publicized for security reasons and to ensure the area could be kept safe for staff. 

It said a public art collection curator was on site to make sure the statue was handled properly. The statue was to be moved into storage until it can be reinstalled in a new location, with additional context. 

Regina's city council voted seven to four on March 31 to remove the statue. Public consultation will be done over the next few months, including through an online survey on Be Heard Regina

A recent report by city administrators said the statue overlooks the negative impacts Macdonald's policies and initiatives have had on Indigenous Peoples.

"These policies include use of day schools and residential schools as tools of assimilation, relocation of Indigenous Peoples away from traditional hunting and fishing areas to make room for European settlement, and an inadequate and often corrupt system for delivering rations to reserves," the report said. 

The Sir John A. Macdonald statue will be placed elsewhere after public consultations. (Kirk Fraser/CBC)

With files from Laura Sciarpelletti