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Regina city council is to vote on Wednesday afternoon on whether to remove the city鈥檚 controversial John A. Macdonald statue for one year while administrators find 鈥渁n appropriate future location,鈥� according to agenda documents.
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The city's administration is recommending the bronze statue be put in storage while 鈥渃onsultations occur with partners and public on an appropriate future location鈥� along with 鈥渂alanced educational programming and narrative.鈥�
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A second recommendation asks city administrators to report to council a year later, in the first quarter of 2022 with community engagement results to 鈥渄etermine the final location of the statue.鈥�
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Both recommendations are part of the city鈥檚 legacy review over the statue鈥檚 placement in publicly-owned Victoria Park.
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The city started the legacy review in July, acknowledging the first Canadian prime minister鈥檚 鈥渉armful legacy鈥� for Indigenous people.
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According to city documents dated March 3, Phase 1 of the review is nearly done.
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Based on community engagement, administrators found the statue and its placement in the park 鈥渋s viewed by many in the Indigenous community as a relic鈥� from a time before the city endorsed the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
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Phase 2 of the review is to include education and outreach programs, 鈥渢elling the full story of Macdonald鈥檚 legacy,鈥� the March 3 documents state.
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The city's administration estimates the total cost for education and statue removal will be $25,000 to $35,000, earmarked in 2021 and 2022 budgets.
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Referencing University of Regina health researcher James Daschuk, the committee says the Macdonald government鈥檚 policies for residential schools and food rationing worked to assimilate and starve Indigenous peoples. 鈥淐hronic social and health issues experienced by many Indigenous people today can be linked back to these and other policies established鈥� under Macdonald.
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Council is to also vote on the possible renaming of Dewdney Pool to Buffalo Meadows Pool and consider renaming Maple Leaf Pool.
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Edgar Dewdney was an Indian Agent who worked under Macdonald in the Treaty 4 area.
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