Has the tide to erase Canada’s history started to turn? Two recent Ontario Government decisions last week give rise to the hope that the misinformed and misguided attempts to remove Sir John A. Macdonald from our history may be easing.
It is about time that a defence of the founder of Canada and our first Prime Minister was mounted.
First came a decision by the Ontario Board of Internal Economy, the all-party committee that controls the grounds and buildings at the Ontario Legislature, to remove the plywood hoarding surrounding the Sir John A. statue that sits at the south end of the property.
The 1893 statue was covered up five years ago to prevent vandalism during a wave of such incidents after the murder of a black man, George Floyd, by a white police officer in the United States. This was followed by stories about the deaths of indigenous children in Canadian residential schools years ago.
Since then, at least 13 Macdonald statues have been removed or destroyed by mobs in Canada. His name has been removed from public buildings, schools and highways, all in the mistaken belief that he was responsible for residential schools. He was not.
The second move was the introduction of legislation to give the province more control over school boards. While its primary aim was to fix financial mismanagement of taxpayers’ money by too many school boards, it also prevents them from renaming schools without provincial approval. Several boards, particularly the Toronto District School Board have stirred up needless and harmful controversy in their communities by removing Macdonald’s name from schools.
There are many things wrong with misguided attempts to “fix” our history. First and foremost is the fact that such efforts totally distort the historical record. For example, not only is Macdonald not the creator of residential schools, but he was also the Prime Minister who gave indigenous peoples the vote in 1885, a markedly controversial move in its day. He also saved thousands of lives by introducing a vaccination program during a smallpox epidemic outbreak.
But the second big mistake is to try and judge historical actions by the standards of today. As the Canadian Institute for Historical Education says in their latest campaign, “context matters.” It isn’t about erasing history, said James Cowan, a member of the organization’s advisory council. “It’s about reclaiming it with depth, context and respect.”
Many historical figures have a checkered record. For example, Mahatma Gandhi, a revered figure in the history of India’s fight for independence from British colonial rule, held racist views of black Africans. Frederick Douglass, a former slave and important leader in the American movement to ban slavery, made racist comments about Indigenous peoples.
In the words of Steve Azzi, a history and political science professor at Carleton University, “history isn’t black and white, people are complicated.”
This is a critical time in Canada’s history. No less than the President of the United States is questioning our very existence as a sovereign nation. He is trying to literally destroy our economic base with haphazard and damaging tariffs.
Canadians have responded with an unprecedented burst of patriotism. It is well deserved. Our history is not perfect – and we are prepared to make substantial changes to try and fix things we got wrong. But taken in its entirety, it is a strong foundation for a proud nationalism.
Canada has fundamental policy and economic issues that need to be addressed by our politicians if we are to successfully survive attacks from south of the border. Trying to rewrite or erase our history based on flawed information will only lead to more division at a time when we need to be working together.
“Unboxing” the Macdonald statue at Queen’s Park may be a small act. But its symbolism says a lot. Let’s hope it is another step in our growth as a nation.
Janet Ecker is a former Ontario Finance Minister, Minister of Education, Minister of Community and Social Services and Government House Leader in the governments of Premier Mike Harris and Premier Ernie Eves. After her political career, she served as the founding CEO of the Toronto Financial Services Alliance, a public-private partnership dedicated to building Toronto region into an international financial centre. She currently sits on a number of corporate and non-profit boards, agencies and advisory committees.
Ms. Ecker received the Order of Canada for her public service contributions and was recognized as one of the “Most Influential People in the World’s Financial Centres” by Financial Centres International. She also received a “Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award” from the Women’s Executive Network and the Richard Ivey School of Business, among other awards. She is also one of the founders of Equal Voice, a national, multi-partisan organization working to elect more women.
