John A. Macdonald Legacy Review

Consultation has concluded

Please see the Legacy Review page on Regina.ca for updates on this project

As a community, we learn through the diverse experiences and perspectives that are our shared history.


The City of Regina invites you to join a community conversation on the legacy of Sir John A. Macdonald. The intent is to foster understanding and telling a complete story of Macdonald’s legacy, both his contributions to Canada as prime minister and founder of Confederation as well as the harmful impact his policies have had on Indigenous peoples and other ethno-cultural communities.

These conversations follow City Council’s decision on March 31, 2021 to relocate the Macdonald statue from Victoria Park. The statue is currently in secure storage in a City facility while consultation activities continue and Administration works with partners to identify options for a new location. A progress report on this work will be considered by City Council in spring 2022..

Since initiating a legacy review of the statue in June 2020, City staff have met with First Nations and Métis Knowledge Keepers, as well as Indigenous artists, curators and academics to seek guidance on how the statue can support a more complete story of the impact of Macdonald’s policies upon First Nations and Métis peoples and other ethno-cultural communities. .

While many historical texts document the negative impact of the Macdonald government’s policies on Indigenous and other ethno-cultural communities, many participants shared how these policies are still impacting them and their families today. For some, the statue is a regular reminder of colonial policies that relocated and restricted the movement of Indigenous Peoples, left their ancestors weaker and more prone to disease, and created residential and day schools.

Telling the full story is an important part of the City’s responsibilities as an institution engaged in Truth and Reconciliation. Moving forward, the City is considering programming and other resources to support increased understanding of Macdonald’s legacy.

We invite residents impacted by Macdonald’s legacy to use this online community to share their stories and the stories of their families. Through this, we hope to relearn a more inclusive history the experiences of Regina’s people.

Please see the Legacy Review page on Regina.ca for updates on this project

As a community, we learn through the diverse experiences and perspectives that are our shared history.


The City of Regina invites you to join a community conversation on the legacy of Sir John A. Macdonald. The intent is to foster understanding and telling a complete story of Macdonald’s legacy, both his contributions to Canada as prime minister and founder of Confederation as well as the harmful impact his policies have had on Indigenous peoples and other ethno-cultural communities.

These conversations follow City Council’s decision on March 31, 2021 to relocate the Macdonald statue from Victoria Park. The statue is currently in secure storage in a City facility while consultation activities continue and Administration works with partners to identify options for a new location. A progress report on this work will be considered by City Council in spring 2022..

Since initiating a legacy review of the statue in June 2020, City staff have met with First Nations and Métis Knowledge Keepers, as well as Indigenous artists, curators and academics to seek guidance on how the statue can support a more complete story of the impact of Macdonald’s policies upon First Nations and Métis peoples and other ethno-cultural communities. .

While many historical texts document the negative impact of the Macdonald government’s policies on Indigenous and other ethno-cultural communities, many participants shared how these policies are still impacting them and their families today. For some, the statue is a regular reminder of colonial policies that relocated and restricted the movement of Indigenous Peoples, left their ancestors weaker and more prone to disease, and created residential and day schools.

Telling the full story is an important part of the City’s responsibilities as an institution engaged in Truth and Reconciliation. Moving forward, the City is considering programming and other resources to support increased understanding of Macdonald’s legacy.

We invite residents impacted by Macdonald’s legacy to use this online community to share their stories and the stories of their families. Through this, we hope to relearn a more inclusive history the experiences of Regina’s people.

Share your story

What’s your story? We are especially interested to hear the stories that are unique to you and your experience. If you don’t have a story, you can also share your thoughts and ideas about local history and other issues or ideas that might be worth exploring. You can also upload photos, videos and insert links. 

We want this to be a safe space for everyone to share thoughts, feelings and opinions. Words are powerful, so please make sure yours are respectful to all. By sharing, you are helping to foster a community conversation that can give us all a better understanding of our collective history.

Thank you for sharing your story with us.
CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.

  • Sir John A and Tommy Douglas

    by schrjt, over 3 years ago

    Within our woke society, if we are to remove Sir John A. Macdonald we must remove any edifice concerning Tommy Douglas.

    Tommy Douglas supported eugenics and traveled to Nazi Germany in 1936 seeking additional “socialistic” knowledge because he supported much of Hitler’s socialist policies. Douglas’s thesis, entitled The Problems of the Subnormal Family, embraced eugenics along with forced sterilization and segregation for people of “sub-normal” intelligence and morality. Tommy Douglas proposed a system requiring couples seeking to marry to be certified as mentally and morally fit. Those deemed “subnormal” because of low intelligence, moral laxity or venereal disease would surrender... Continue reading

  • Keep the Statue

    by Lynn, over 3 years ago
    Sir John A MacDonald is a very important part of our history. He did many things that we are proud of and some that we are not. We cannot change our history, but we can learn from the past.


    His statue should be taken out of storage and if it cannot be put back in its original place, it should be put in a place where people can see it and acknowledge it.


  • There is no place for that statue in our city

    by Amy, over 3 years ago
    As a non-Indigenous Canadian, I share the belief that there is no place for the statue of John A. MacDonald in Victoria Park, or in our city. I can appreciate that he was a founder of this country, but the heft of his legacy -- and this country's -- is colonialism. I am done hearing the tired arguments about this being "our history" and the "past is the past." Shamefully, colonialism is not in the past for the Indigenous peoples on this land: it is their present reality. We are so far from being where we need to be in... Continue reading

  • Equality

    by Reflection, over 3 years ago
    In my opinion Sir John A McDonald did more for Canada than Louis Riel. Why do we have to hide the statue and at the same time have to drive on a Highway named after Riel.

  • Genocide

    by Downtoearth, over 3 years ago
    If we wouldn’t have a statue of Adolph Hitler, why have another leader who practiced genocide. Take down Mcdonald’s statue.

  • Who among us is perfect?

    by Maple Leaf Eh, over 3 years ago

    I lived in Regina in the 90s, and left when my job was moved. I still have ties in the community.

    Popular historical reinterpretations of controversial figures is a dangerous argument. There is no single perfect person, and it is easy to find fault with anyone who rises to authority. I cannot accept revision of Macdonald's contributions without sincerely weighing the essential good he did.

    Canada's first prime minister was a flawed human. He would not have survived the political scrutiny we put on our leaders today, and likely would not have even been allowed to run. In the mid-1860s... Continue reading

  • Live in Harmony

    by Debbie, over 3 years ago
    The statue of J.A.M. Cannot remain as it was if we are serious about working towards reconciliation. From reading some of the stories, it is clear we still have a long way to go. As an Indigenous person, I am not looking to erase or rewrite history as so many have claimed is the purpose behind removal of the statue. I do however, want to see a true representation of the man and history - and I don’t want to see it in Victoria Park. It could be where someone is intentionally looking for it - such as a museum... Continue reading

  • Bad outweighs any good

    by Nm1, over 3 years ago
    It disheartens me to read that fellow Canadians can value economic and political contributions more than humanity.


    I fully understand that John A. MacDonald helped to develop this country into what it is today. We can speculate what would have happened to our government, political boundaries, and subsequent culture, but none of that happened, so we'll never know. What we do know is that we have developed into a great country, but one that also has a very dark, racist, and genocidal past (and present) that many don't know about and don't like to talk about.

    Our school system and... Continue reading

  • Mixed legacy

    by Norman, over 3 years ago
    As someone who studied Canadian and prairie history, Macdonald did both things of which we should be proud and things of which we should be ashamed. He played a key role in bringing together Canada West, Canada East, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in Confederation. Later he played a key role in founding the NWMP and building the national railroads, which both fulfilled a promise to British Columbia and helped physically link Canada from west coast to east coast. Without him, it is likely Canada would never have become a united country and that large parts would have become part... Continue reading

  • American or Brit?

    by PeaceFeather, over 3 years ago

    Had SJAM not pursued uniting and creating our nation we would not have Canada. He is more the father of confederation than George Washington is the father of the USA.

    Yes, white colonial history is bad but SJAM is not uniquely a bad or evil person. He chose to be active in building a nation -- this was not the easy path. He chose to give the indigenous male the ability to vote -- this was not the easy path. (Laurier revoked the indigenous vote because their votes will overwhelmingly in SJAM's favour - the "MacDonald Franchise" ). Imagine if... Continue reading