John A. Macdonald (courtesy Bureau d'Art Public - Ville de Montréal | Monument à sir John A. Macdonald, photo by Guy L'Heureux, 2012)
The City of Montreal says it won't replace a statue of John A. Macdonald that was toppled three years ago during an anti-racism protest in a downtown park.
Instead, the city's executive committee announced Wednesday it will seek to partner with a local museum that can house the statue and provide contextual information about Canada's first prime minister.
Macdonald, a key figure in Canadian Confederation, advocated the assimilation of Indigenous people and is considered the architect of the residential school system.
The statue has been in storage since it was toppled in 2020. The empty pedestal will remain at Place du Canada as a reminder of the history of the statue, erected in 1895.
The committee recommended launching a public call by year's end for artists to develop a multidisciplinary project at Place du Canada that allows "a wider reinterpretation" of the monument.
Source: City of Montreal