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.

  • Intergenerational Trauma

    by INDG, over 5 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

    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 suffered by my parents and grandparents at the hands of priests and nuns at these institutions. My grandmother used to be fluent in her traditional language, which is Cree, but it was literally beat out of her at residential schools. If she spoke anything that wasn't English or French, she was hit or abused in some way either mentally or physically. The culture that is shared between many Indigenous people, was ripped away and many Indigenous people today will never know their culture or practices.

    Residential schools were created in the late 1800s but were made mandatory in 1920, meaning Indigenous children were physically taken from their homes with their parents and put into these strange environments. If they did their traditional ceremonies, they were beat. I'd like you to imagine that for a second: Your child is taken away from you and when they try to pray to come back home, they are beaten and told that their God is not the right God and are forced to adhere to a different religion.

    That is the reality many Indigenous people faced.

    Physical abuse eventually stopped in residential schools, but what happened when these abused children became parents? My personal story isn't unique as a lot of Indigenous people have felt the same thing I'm going to explain. My grandparents on my mom's side did not know how to properly discipline their six children as they themselves had been beaten if they stepped out of line. My mother and father were both hit in their respective homes if they ever behaved badly, my mom told me that sometimes she was beaten just for looking at my grandmother the wrong way. My dad didn't attend residential school for his entire life, but he did for a portion of his life until he ran away from the school when he was a teenager. My mom has a similar story.

    My parents promised themselves that they would never physically hurt us as they hated being abused when they were children, they kept that promise. What did follow was trauma my parents faced from their parents and residential schools that they didn't know how to cope with, so they turned to drinking.

    My parents were both alcoholics and in turn were neglectful. I am 26 now and I suffer from the direct effects of intergenerational trauma. I had a drinking problem (am now three years sober) as well as many mental health issues that have altered my life in drastic ways. I am confident that if residential schools were never invented my everyday suffering would be less.

    I'm not going to bore you with the details of my life but I am not a healthy person. I have to use both hands to count the amount of times I have tried to commit suicide and once I got so close that I was in a coma for three days. It doesn't help that I personally feel failed by the education system and health system as there is systemic racism engrained in both, but that's a whole other story.

    What does this have to do with Sir John A. Macdonald? John A. Macdonald authorized the creation of residential schools and has said the following:

    “When the school is on the reserve the child lives with its parents, who are savages; he is surrounded by savages, and though he may learn to read and write his habits, and training and mode of thought are Indian. He is simply a savage who can read and write. It has been strongly pressed on myself, as the head of the Department, that the Indian children should be withdrawn as much as possible from the parental influence, and the only way to do that would be to put them in central training industrial schools where they will acquire the habits and modes of thought of white men.” — Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald, Official report of the debates of the House of Commons of the Dominion of Canada, 9 May 1883, 1107–1108 (Source)

    John A. Macdonald thought that Indigenous children should be ripped away from their homes and cultures and adopt the thoughts and habits of white people. He wanted to take the Indian out of every child. He put in place racist policies and played a massive part in colonizing Canada.

    If the City of Regina truly wants to take a step towards reconciliation, they will stick to their word about removing the statue from Victoria Park.

  • Cancel Culture is the real problem

    by Clay, over 5 years ago

    We need to stop removing everything that someone may find offensive. Just because you are offended by something does not mean you are right. All cultures have done things they are not proud of, and hiding your history solves nothing. He was the first PM of Canada and deserves public recognition. Period.

    We need to stop removing everything that someone may find offensive. Just because you are offended by something does not mean you are right. All cultures have done things they are not proud of, and hiding your history solves nothing. He was the first PM of Canada and deserves public recognition. Period.

  • Is humility honorable?

    by Mo, over 5 years ago
    If humility is at all an honorable trait, I would hope that our leaders of the past had enough of it to decline the peppering of our landscape with likenesses of themselves.
    If humility is at all an honorable trait, I would hope that our leaders of the past had enough of it to decline the peppering of our landscape with likenesses of themselves.

  • Don't Be An Armchair Coach/Critic

    by Participate Regina, over 5 years ago
    Great leaders accomplish great things because they take risks and are decisive. They make the best decisions they can with the information they have available. Will they be right 100% of the time? Of course not. But the test of greatness is not "what mistakes did the individual make" but rather "what did they accomplish". Their lives need to examined in the context of the totality, not the isolated events.


    Leave the statue where it is and tell the WHOLE story. Provide historical context. Ask questions. As the sign outside the Oskar Schlinder Museum in Krakau Poland says: "Ask yourself... Continue reading

    Great leaders accomplish great things because they take risks and are decisive. They make the best decisions they can with the information they have available. Will they be right 100% of the time? Of course not. But the test of greatness is not "what mistakes did the individual make" but rather "what did they accomplish". Their lives need to examined in the context of the totality, not the isolated events.


    Leave the statue where it is and tell the WHOLE story. Provide historical context. Ask questions. As the sign outside the Oskar Schlinder Museum in Krakau Poland says: "Ask yourself 'What would I have done?'"

  • His legacy lives on ... sadly

    by Anonymous , over 5 years ago

    John A. wanted the Indians dead, enforced genocide, made children suffer unspeakable horrors.

    To the people crying about the history being erased, it's not. The fact is John A's history still isn't being taught. He imposed a pass system on First Nations people so they couldn't hunt or get supplies. Then he forcefully refused his fellow humans food to the verge of STARVATION.

    He had full control of Indian Affairs and could have changed the starvation policy, but instead he pushed it even harder.

    THOUSANDS of First Nations people, including children LITERALLY STARVED TO DEATH because Macdonald wanted -- and... Continue reading

    John A. wanted the Indians dead, enforced genocide, made children suffer unspeakable horrors.

    To the people crying about the history being erased, it's not. The fact is John A's history still isn't being taught. He imposed a pass system on First Nations people so they couldn't hunt or get supplies. Then he forcefully refused his fellow humans food to the verge of STARVATION.

    He had full control of Indian Affairs and could have changed the starvation policy, but instead he pushed it even harder.

    THOUSANDS of First Nations people, including children LITERALLY STARVED TO DEATH because Macdonald wanted -- and stated in parliament that he wanted -- this to happen.

    Macdonald is a monster. If you want to keep the statue up, make it clear that he was a monster, not with a little plaque but with a large sign that explains in detail why he was a monster. He imposed Indian Agents with dictatorial powers. I can't imagine how many children lived horrendous and short lives because of John A. Macdonald.

    His legacy is to refer to First Nations people as savages. And I assure you that legacy lives on as we can see by all those who share their story of love for a man who had no moral issues committing genocide.

    You want to keep a statue of a genocidal poltician in our city, make sure there is a large sign that says, "This man committed genocide," in large bold printing.

    His legacy is that his people literally ripped screaming children from the arms of their parents to force them into schools where they would be abused in all ways. And thrown into unmarked graves.

    You want to put his statue in your parks, while working towards reconciliation?

    His legacy is that he banned the powwow. His legacy is that he banned Potlatches. His legacy was public executions despite Canadian laws that said they weren't allowed. His legacy was to "ethnically cleanse" the west. And his legacy is still alive as indicated by the increasing boldness of racists in today's Canada.

    That statue feels scary because it is a beacon for racists, genocide sympathizers and people who believe the residential schools were good. Those kinds of people exist. Their comments flood social media. They cry about history being erased, but the harshest realities of that history isn't even being taught, and if it was most people would be disgusted ... except of course for those who aren't bothered by forcefully starving children to death, stealing children from their parents and seeing First Nations as less than human.

    You keep that statue up, and you are telling the racists that those values align with Regina's values.

    ACTUALLY TELL people why you're removing the statue. Don't sugarcoat the history. "This man wanted the Indians dead. This man enforced genocide. This man made children suffer unspeakable horrors. We cannot forget his legacy. And we cannot celebrate that legacy."

  • What I’ve taught my children

    by Fairness for all, over 5 years ago
    I’ve taught my children when they see something they don’t want to be a part of, they need to walk away.


    I've taught my children that the past prejudices I’ve had to live through, do NOT get a vote in how they live their lives.

    I’ve taken my children to the statue to explain both sides, and they’ve decided this statue has no affect on who they will become.

    please use the money you’d spend on this statue removal and relocation, on training new police officers.


    I’ve taught my children when they see something they don’t want to be a part of, they need to walk away.


    I've taught my children that the past prejudices I’ve had to live through, do NOT get a vote in how they live their lives.

    I’ve taken my children to the statue to explain both sides, and they’ve decided this statue has no affect on who they will become.

    please use the money you’d spend on this statue removal and relocation, on training new police officers.


  • Deleting history

    by Tired of the complaints about history, over 5 years ago
    If we delete all bad in history most would be gone. We need to understand that all humans have endured pain and suffering at one point or another in history. Learning from history is a necessity for humans to grow and be better. If we negate all the bad, we will repeat it. We still have a country that we can try and be proud of. Let's look forward and not back.
    If we delete all bad in history most would be gone. We need to understand that all humans have endured pain and suffering at one point or another in history. Learning from history is a necessity for humans to grow and be better. If we negate all the bad, we will repeat it. We still have a country that we can try and be proud of. Let's look forward and not back.

  • History

    by Kevmucha123, over 5 years ago
    Hi I belive this is just a way to cancel culture and city caving to the few that want statues removed for something that happened many years ago who ever these people are keep canceling Dewdney ave Davin school and others also what about Chinese and railroad how many die no complaints

    I have two Cree kids and it doesn't effect them in anyway its history

    KEEP STATUE WHERE IT IS

    Hi I belive this is just a way to cancel culture and city caving to the few that want statues removed for something that happened many years ago who ever these people are keep canceling Dewdney ave Davin school and others also what about Chinese and railroad how many die no complaints

    I have two Cree kids and it doesn't effect them in anyway its history

    KEEP STATUE WHERE IT IS

  • History

    by fatkatz, over 5 years ago

    History is not there for you to like or dislike. It is there for you to learn from it. And if it offends you, ever better. Because then you are less likely to repeat it. It’s not yours to erase or destroy. It belongs to all of us.

    History is not there for you to like or dislike. It is there for you to learn from it. And if it offends you, ever better. Because then you are less likely to repeat it. It’s not yours to erase or destroy. It belongs to all of us.

  • The First Crime Minister Of Canada

    by R.Smoke, over 5 years ago

    Not to be diluted in any way but a leader should always be there for its citizens and not the other way around, Sir John A Mcdonald was an extremely vicious leader of Canada and he used his authority to its maximum extent, and all we got out of it was a rail road, what about the Chinese lives that were sacrificed in order for his dream, should I even mention the head tax implementations on them aswell...or the starved and already beaten members of Canadas 1st nation inhabitants for which he thought was a great idea to not only... Continue reading

    Not to be diluted in any way but a leader should always be there for its citizens and not the other way around, Sir John A Mcdonald was an extremely vicious leader of Canada and he used his authority to its maximum extent, and all we got out of it was a rail road, what about the Chinese lives that were sacrificed in order for his dream, should I even mention the head tax implementations on them aswell...or the starved and already beaten members of Canadas 1st nation inhabitants for which he thought was a great idea to not only impose but expect a group of people to be disrespectfully treated? But for how it affected me and many other fellow Canadians is still how prominent that hate has survived all these years and we can still see it in everyday Saskatchewan till this day...removal should have happened a long time ago honestly..