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.

  • Learn Vicariously

    by ProudlyCanadian?, over 3 years ago

    We can learn tremendous values and lessons from those who have tread before us. It’s very easy to say, “that’s not what I would have done.” Prove it and leave your mark on today so you can best shape tomorrow without sacrificing yesterday. Protect and teach history so we know why we are great today. What can we achieve tomorrow?

    L

  • Don't Shoot The Messenger

    by The Rest of the Story, over 3 years ago

    A truly objective analysis of this chapter in Canada’s history would reveal that Canadians should be proud – not ashamed – that, under the leadership of Sir John A. MacDonald the government set the wheels in motion to pull Canada’s aboriginals out of the Stone Age into the Modern Age, bypassing the Bronze and Iron Ages in the process. In other parts of the world, this process took tens of thousands of years, but in Canada, it only took about 200 years.

    There is no doubt that, as a consequence of millions of impoverished homesteaders flocking to Canada seeking a... Continue reading

  • No thanks

    by D, over 3 years ago
    This man is the 1st PM of this fine country and did what needed to be done to build the country as one, he brought through the railroad to cap it off, removing his statue is wrong and shouldn't be done. The times were different then and you can NOT change history no matter how hard you try, Cancel culture does nothing but cause arguments and nothing will ever be settled, its time to except what we have and move on.

  • In the name of victimhood.

    by Water bearer, over 3 years ago
    As the article describing the statue states, John A was put up to commemorate 100 years of Canada. Why does the statues location need to change? What is going to be put in his place? Maybe another statue dedicated in gratitude that the next generation will look back on in disgust. Wouldnt it be far more productive to add to the park instead of take away? Put up another statue alongside Sir John that depicts what the perpetual victims need so they dont get emotional in the park. Adding is fine, replacing is an insult.

  • The Statue should be returned to its original location

    by M.M.J Anguish, over 3 years ago

    Removing the statue in my view is an act of profound ingratitude, because the fact of the matter is without MacDonald none of you would enjoy all the benefits of living in Canada today, which it cannot be denied simply outweigh the downsides of living in Canada. You are also removing his statue due to a consistent campaign of what can only be described as a campaign of defamation against our first Prime Minister, which takes him completely out of the context of his time and is throughly refuted in this article attached here: https://c2cjournal.ca/2020/11/sir-john-a-macdonald-saved-more-native-lives-than-any-other-prime-minister/

  • Everyone has a backstory, good or bad

    by Jaydubbya , over 3 years ago

    We all think we know history, as some was taught and some was lived through; however, there are always 2 sides of every story. This is a little something I bet most didn’t know. While he presided over mass die-offs of Plains First Nations, he also proposed giving aboriginals the vote more than 70 years before it actually occurred in 1960. Macdonald gets much of the heat for a national policy that would have profoundly negative impacts on First Nations, and he was at the helm when thousands of prairie aboriginals succumbed to disease and starvation. But in 1885 he... Continue reading

  • Leaders responsible for genocide should not be commemorated

    by fb, over 3 years ago
    The fact is, John A Macdonald's history is NOT being taught. If the true horrors he is responsible for were taught widely, this would not be a discussion. Would we allow a statute of Hitler to remain because "it is a part of history". Absolutely not. Those that think this is cancel culture are just defending a time when racism was acceptable. Being the first Prime Minister and being linked to things we are taught are highlights of Canadian history, DOES NOT negate the entrenching of racism, erasure of culture and MURDER of children. TAKE IT DOWN.

  • A legacy of racist rhetoric and colonial dominance

    by jlye, over 3 years ago

    The Chinese Immigration Act of 1885 was implemented under John A. Macdonald the same year that the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed, six years ahead of schedule, thanks to the 17,000 Chinese laborers who were brought into Canada by none other than... John A. Macdonald. The Act introduced a head tax that was meant to restrict further Chinese immigration into Canada. By 1923, the government of Canada had already collected over $33 million in head tax.

    The 1885 Act was the first piece of legislation in Canada's history to exclude immigrants on the basis of their ethnic origin. The 1885... Continue reading

  • Good, bad or indifferent history cannot be erased -- so why try -- learn from it instead!

    by Beaver, over 3 years ago
    The statue was put in Victoria Park for a reason at the time - and it was not to celebrate the bad but to acknowledge the important role Sir John A MacDonald's leadership played in the development of our country and the better qualify of life we all enjoy now. With hindsight mistakes were made as much history around the world shows?

    I'm not an indigenous descendant but am a descendant of Canadian born parents of Eastern European descent and had verbal discrimination in job interviews due to my surname.

    Our country and people's attitudes have come a long way... Continue reading

  • Intergenerational Trauma

    by INDG, over 3 years ago

    What does John A. Macdonald have to do with intergenerational trauma, you may ask but the reality is he had a big part in the effects of what Indigenous people today are going through.

    For those of you who don't know, intergenerational trauma is defined as trauma that is passed on from one generation to the next. While residential schools were not the start of intergenerational trauma, they play a large part in what is felt today.

    My parents are residential school survivors, as were their parents and their parents before them as well. I've heard intense stories of abuse... Continue reading