The fate of Sir John A. Macdonald's statue in Hamilton — and even his name — is now caught up in a national debate over whether such memorials whitewash the oppression of Indigenous peoples.

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario union has just voted to ask school boards to strip Macdonald's name from all schools, arguing Canada's first prime minister was the "architect of genocide against Indigenous peoples" for his role in creating the Indian Act and residential schools.

The call comes as debates rage from Victoria to Halifax over the future of monuments to historical Canadian leaders, many of whom are earning new scrutiny for their treatment of Indigenous peoples.

The days of Sir John A. Macdonald school in Hamilton are numbered, but only because it is slated to close in 2019, said public school board chair Todd White.

"It's unlikely we would rename the school before it closes."

But White added the board will listen to the union's concerns when considering names for a hoped-for new elementary school on the site.

"When it comes to learning lessons from our past, the positive and the negative, we're all ears."

Unlike in Halifax — where some protesters threatened to topple a statue of controversial founder Edward Cornwallis — no one has formally asked Hamilton council to remove the 124-year-old bronze statue of Macdonald in Gore Park.

But Coun. Aidan Johnson said he expects the future of the statue to "be part of the conversation" as the city embarks on formal consultation through its new urban Indigenous strategy.

"Is the statue something we have to talk about? Absolutely," said Johnson, who added he also expects a broader conversation about "Indigenous representation" in public art. "My opinion (on the statue) right now is that we have to listen to Indigenous voices."

The statue has always been a "big problem for many" in the Indigenous community, said Christine Joseph-Davies, the incoming president of the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre. She noted Indigenous residents have protested at the statue in the past, most recently during celebrations of Macdonald's 200th birthday.

"How can we showcase this guy who essentially tortured Aboriginal people?" she asked.

That protest in 2015 relocated a celebration at the statue by the Hamilton-based Sir John A. Macdonald Society. Members moved the party to a local pub, instead.

At the time, society president Robin McKee said Macdonald deserved recognition as "the founding father of our country," pointing to his dedication to linking disparate future provinces by rail and his role in writing the British North America Act.

"If the guy was not born, we would not be Canada."

Biographer Richard Gwyn has argued in articles Macdonald was comparatively progressive for the time and is a "scapegoat" for racist policies and attitudes that were common among politicians and residents in a fledgling Canada.

Opinions differ among city councillors on how to deal with the historical conundrum.

"I would be OK with seeing it go," said Coun. Matthew Green. "I don't think it's appropriate to glorify genocide in our country."

He said "decolonizing" public spaces is one way to respect the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission created to help redress historical wrongs done to Canada's First Nations people.

Coun. Sam Merulla said he respects the concerns of Indigenous peoples and agrees Canadians shouldn't ignore the "offensive" acts of celebrated historical figures. He said he'd prefer to keep such monuments as a "teaching opportunity to educate people about the good and the bad." He urged doing more to honour Indigenous contributions through public art.

In a statement, Premier Kathleen Wynne disagreed with removing Macdonald's name from schools.

"We need to teach our children the full history of this country — including colonialism, our Indigenous peoples and their history and about what our founders did to create Canada and make it the country it is today."

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Monumental debate

Here are a few Canadian statues and buildings spurring namesake protests:

Edward Cornwallis: The founder of Halifax reputedly offered a bounty for the scalps of Mi'kmaq people in the mid-1700s. His statue in Halifax has spurred Indigenous protests and the creation of a committee to determine the future of the Cornwallis name in the city;

Egerton Ryerson: The politician and prominent education advocate is the namesake for Ryerson University in Toronto. The student union has called for a name change, arguing Ryerson had influence over the development of residential school policies.

Hector-Louis Langevin: The Father of Confederation recently had his name stripped from the Ottawa building that houses the prime minister's offices, also because of his connection to the residential school system. Calgary's city council voted to change the name of Langevin bridge to Reconciliation Bridge for the same reason.



- DRESCHEL: Sins of the past, sins of the future

- John A. Macdonald schools should be renamed: elementary teachers' union