Macdonald Monument

The Macdonald Monument was a monument dedicated to Sir John A. Macdonald, first Prime Minister of Canada, by sculptor George Edward Wade in Montreal, Quebec.
== History ==
=== 19th Century ===
==== Dedication ====
The Macdonald Monument was opened on 6 June 1895, and was located at Place du Canada, in Montreal, Quebec.Monument à sir John A. Macdonald - Art Public Montréal Macdonald had died four years previously on 6 June 1891.Sir John A. Macdonald - The Canadian Encyclopedia - Retrieved 30 August 2020
=== 21st Century ===
==== 2020 ====
===== Toppling and reactions =====
On 29 August 2020, the statue was toppled and subsequently decapitated by protesters affiliated with the Coalition for BIPOC Liberation, at the culmination of a protest around defunding of the police.Protesters in Montreal topple John A. Macdonald statue; demand police defunding - 29 August 2020 - National Post
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante condemned the "acts of vandalism that took place this afternoon in downtown Montreal... Such gestures cannot be accepted or tolerated," adding that the city was aware that certain historical monuments were controversial, and that she preferred adding context to existing statues, as well as adding additional monuments to be more representative of society. Plante added that the city's public art office intended to restore the statue.Montreal mayor denounces destruction of Sir John A. Macdonald statue - 29 August 2020 - The Montreal Gazette - Retrieved 29 August 2020
Leader of the far-right People's Party of Canada Maxime Bernier reacted to the statue's demolition on Twitter by referring to the protesters as leftist thugs."Where are the Montreal police?? Are we going to let leftist thugs take control of our cities? Où est la police de Montréal?? Allons-nous laisser les brutes gauchistes prendre le contrôle de nos villes?" - Maxime Bernie @MaximeBernier - 29 August 2020 - Twitter
Leader of the Conservative Party Erin O'Toole condemned the damage inflicted on the statue, stating his belief that "Canada is a great county, and one we should be proud of," and that "We will not build a better future by defacing our past.""Canada wouldn't exist without Sir John A. Macdonald. Canada is a great county, and one we should be proud of. We will not build a better future by defacing our past. It's time politicians grow a backbone and stand up for our country." - Erin O'Toole @ErinOTooleMP - 29 August 2020 - Twitter
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney denounced the actions of the protesters on Twitter,"1/ A mob has torn down and defaced the statue of Sir John A Macdonald in Montreal. This vandalism of our history and heroes must stop. As his biographer Richard Gwyn wrote, “no Macdonald, no Canada.” Both Macdonald & the country he created were flawed but still great." - Jason Kenney @jkenney - 29 August 2020 - Twitter referencing Macdonald's struggle as an immigrant and his personal traumas that he overcame to bring about the nation."2/ Many of those on the extreme left responsible for this kind of violence claim that Canada is an illegitimate state, all the while enjoying Canada’s rights, freedoms, privileges & prosperity. None of those things were created by accident. They come from the vision & sacrifice" - Jason Kenney @jkenney - 29 August 2020 - Twitter"3/ of those who went before us, particularly Macdonald himself. He was an immigrant who suffered unimaginable personal trauma throughout his life, which he overcame to forge an enormous country out of divided factions. It’s right to debate his legacy and life. But it is wrong" - Jason Kenney @jkenney - 29 August 2020 - Twitter Kenney stated it was right to debate Macdonald's legacy, but criticized what he termed "roaming bands of thugs vandali[sing] our history". He finished his chain of tweets by offering to install it in Alberta's legislature if the City of Montreal opted not to restore it."4/ to allow roving bands of thugs to vandalize our history with impunity. If the City of Montreal decides not to restore Wade’s statue of Macdonald to where it has stood for 125 years, we would be happy to receive it for installation on the grounds of Alberta’s Legislature." - Jason Kenney @jkenney - 29 August 2020 - TwitterJason Kenney tells Montreal to send toppled Sir John A. MacDonald statue to Alberta - 29 August 2020 - CTV News Edmonton
Quebec Premier François Legault stated on Twitter that, "Whatever one might think of John A. MacDonald,[sic] destroying a monument in this way is unacceptable. We must fight racism, but destroying parts of our history is not the solution. Vandalism has no place in our democracy and the statue must be restored.""Quoique l’on puisse penser de John A. MacDonald, détruire un monument ainsi est inacceptable. Il faut combattre le racisme, mais saccager des pans de notre histoire n’est pas la solution. Le vandalisme n’a pas sa place dans notre démocratie et la statue doit être restaurée." - François Legault @francoislegault - 29 August 2020 - Twitter
On 30 August, Leader of the New Democratic Party Jagmeet Singh spoke out about the demolition of the statue, stating "Sir John A. Macdonald was the first PM of Canada but he was also a key figure in the attempt to brutally wipe out Indigenous peoples. Taking down a statue of him doesn't erase him from history any more than honouring him out of context erases the horrors he caused.""As times change and we strive to build a better Canada for everyone, we must welcome difficult discussions about who we honour in public spaces versus who we leave to our history books and museums Public spaces and institutions should inspire us and bring us together." - Jagmeet Singh @theJagmeetSingh - 30 August 2020"Sir John A. Macdonald was the first PM of Canada but he was also a key figure in the attempt to brutally wipe out Indigenous peoples. Taking down a statue of him doesn't erase him from history any more than honouring him out of context erases the horrors he caused." - Jagmeet Singh @theJagmeetSingh - 30 August 2020 - Twitter"At the end of the day, we should all remember there is more that unites us than divides us. We still have a long way to go, but together, we can keep building a better and more inclusive Canada for everyone." - Jagmeet Singh @theJagmeetSingh - 30 August 2020
On 31 August, Mayor of Kingston Bryan Paterson "I certainly welcome healthy debate — discussion, differing points of view — but when it comes to vandalism, that’s where you draw a clear line."Kingston’s mayor reacts to the toppling and defacing of Montreal’s Macdonald statue - Mike Postovit - 31 August 2020 - Global News - Retrieved 31 August 2020
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke out against the toppling at a press conference in Montreal, stating "We are a country of laws and we are a country that needs to respect those laws, even as we seek to improve and change them, and those kind of acts of vandalism are not advancing the path towards greater justice and equality in this country,", adding "Actions such as that have no place in a society that abides by the rule of law."Trudeau condemns destruction of Sir John A. Macdonald statue in Montreal - John Paul Tasker - 31 August 2020 - CBC NewsPM Trudeau makes announcement in Montreal on COVID-19 research – August 31, 2020 - CPAC - YouTube
Premier Legault spoke up again about the statue, saying it would be put back up, and dismissing the idea that it would be shipped to Alberta.Legault Says Montreal's John A. Macdonald Statue Is Going To Go Right Back Up - Teddy Elliott - 31 August 2020 - MTL Blog - Retrieved 1 September 2020
City of Montreal spokesperson Youssef Amane later said the cost of restoring the statue would come to $400,000, and that the city was examining its options for reinstallation.A Statue of Canada’s First Prime Minister Is Toppled, but Politicians Want It Restored - Dan Bilefsky - 1 September 2020 - The New York Times - Retrieved 3 September 2020
==== Later Proposals ====
While running his 2021 mayoral campaign former Mayor of Montreal Denis Coderre proposed returning the statue to its pedestal alongside explanatory plaques,Montreal mayoral candidate Coderre wants John A. Macdonald statue re-erected with proper context - Daniel J. Rowe - 1 October 2021 - CTV News - Retrieved 1 October 2021 and drew ire for having done so on the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.Coderre vows to restore John A. Macdonald statue on Truth and Reconciliation Day - Lorraine Carpenter - 30 September 2021 - Cult MTL - Retrieved 1 October 2021
== Popular Culture ==
=== Appearances ===
==== Variants ====
The following list is of explicit appearances of the Macdonald Monument.
Year	Name 	Appearance	Notes
1970	 	
* Two Women in Gold	
* A parade passes the Monument.Two Women in Gold - Filming & Production - IMDB - Retrieved 21 November 2020
2020	"Statue of Sir John A. MacDonal" [sic]	
* The Beaverton, Toppling of statue causes temporal rift as John A. MacDonald erased from history, author Ian MacIntyre	
* A work satirising the notion that destruction of statues erases history.Toppling of statue causes temporal rift as John A. MacDonald erased from history - Ian MacIntyre - 30 August 2020 - The Beaverton
== Links ==
* The Macdonald Monument on Wikipedia
* Monument à sir John A. Macdonald on Art Public Montréal
== References ==
Category:John A. Macdonald
Category:Real sculptures
Category:Real monuments
Category:Real Canadian monuments
Category:Real locations
Category:Real Canadian locations
Category:Real North American locations