Wilfrid Laurier University’s statue project draws opposition
Posted Jul 29, 2015 12:10:55 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Hundreds have signed a petition to put a stop to Wilfrid Laurier University’s Prime Ministers Statue Project.
The project — which the university hopes will celebrate leadership, history, and community — would have 22 bronze replicas of Canada’s past prime ministers erected on campus.
Those against the project say the planned statues of Canada’s prime ministers is inconsiderate, if not offensive, as the university sits on land that traditionally belongs to First Nations peoples.
“To bring in statues of Canadian prime ministers — many of whom ran the governments that ultimately took the land away from First Nations peoples, and in some cases developed residential school systems — without any kind of critique or counter-measure is highly insensitive,” says Laurier professor Jonathan Finn, the petition’s creator.
“[It] conveys a certain kind of message,” he adds.
“The question is, are people going to see themselves as being part of this community if they walk around seeing only representations of a very particular kind of person?”
The project was originally proposed for Victoria Park and rejected by the City of Kitchener two years ago, and now some feel it was rushed through at Laurier.
Finn feels there was a lack of consultation before the project was announced:
“At the very least, before any contract was signed, there should have been public consultation to say to the students, staff, and faculty — those who work there day in and day out — is this something you want on your campus?”
Finn says he’s met with administrators about the issue but felt little progress.
He says those in support of the project feel the statues will provoke interesting discussions and debate about Canada’s history.
Those behind the project say each statue will include educational components and will be designed to encourage the public to linger and interact with the art.
The project is marking the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017.
