City votes to move forward with Queen Victoria statue staff report

Several delegations presented to Kitchener city councillors during a committee meeting Wednesday on the proposed education and engagement strategy for Queen Victoria's Statue. 

The report put together by city staff outlined a phased approach involving a preparation and research phase to take place from July to September of this year, an engagement and education phase from October 2022 to February 2023, a summarize and report phase from March to April of 2023 and an implement results phase from May to June 2023. 

The entire proposed strategy could take 8 to 12 months – and cost up to $30,000. 

Preceding Wednesday's meeting GroundUp WR, a local activist organization, demanded that city staff be directed to do three things.

First, to immediately remove the Queen Victoria Statue from the plinth – to be moved to a private location.

Second, to launch an equity-driven community engagement process to gather ideas and feedback from the community with respect to what should replace the Queen Victoria statue located in Victoria Park.

Thirdly, to launch a public education process around the history related to Queen Victoria, the statue and its impacts. 

Many community members delegated to council – including GroundUp WR member David Alton. 

“You cannot have a trauma informed and equity driven consultation process with the agent of colonial harm still standing.” said Alton. “That statue must come down first so that those traumatized by colonization can participate.”

Alton went on to say that by removing the statue first, it helps to build trust with traumatized communities. 

Other delegations included Wilmot councillor Angie Hallman.

“I would deeply consider that you remove the statue first before having the consultation process; psychologically speaking, eliminating the harm is imperative to productive conversations.”

Councillor Hallman recalled her experience in Wilmot Township last summer, when statues of former prime ministers were removed from a Baden park.

Council also heard from local Indigenous community member and co-founder of Land Back Camp, Amy Smoke. 

“Lets start building the better relationship because we know the relationship has not been very fair, very equal, or very just. So lets start here. You have a chance to make this city safer for the original inhabitants on this stolen land.” 

Smoke added that precedents have already been set with Wilmot Township's removal of its statues, and urged councillors to remove the Queen Victoria statue immediately. 

There were some delegations to the committee against the removal of the statue such as Khaled, an India born immigrant with parents from Afghanistan, who said he was saddened to see members of the community advocating to remove the “heritage that is personified in the statue of Queen Victoria.”

“As the son of an immigrant Afghan family who has watched the destruction of that society, I pray that this will not happen in Canada.” 

After hearing from delegates, councillors provided their own comments. 

Ward 10 Councillor Sarah Marsh forwarded a motion that staff be directed to immediately remove the Queen Victoria statue and put it in a private location during the time that staff are in the engagement process. 

Marsh clearly provided her position, “It's a statue, we're not going to complete reconciliation by keeping it there or removing it.”

Marsh referenced comments made by a delegate earlier in the meeting that the city council as a government and authoritative body represents colonialism in both structure and method, and councillors need to recognize that.

Ward 6 Councillor Paul Singh suggested an amendment calling for staff to look into installing Indigenous art alongside the statue through the public consultation process. 

“Having perhaps some sort of art piece that commemorates the Indigenous community and at the same time [acknowledges] harms that have been made by colonialism, can further educate and inform the general populace and encourage dialogue on both sides.” 

That amendment was supported by Ward 2 Councillor Dave Schnider, stating the motion would be an adequate compromise – with installed artwork also assisting in efforts of education. 

Ward 3 Councillor John Gazolla said he would support Councillor Singh's amendment, but not staff recommendations or the immediate removal of the statue.

“On the vote of removing the statue for the time being I will not support them. Reconciliation is not a one way street. We need to move forward, we can't keep looking backwards.” 

Councillors voted on the staff report's recommendations, passing them nearly unanimously. Due to that result, councillors did not need to vote on councillor Marsh's motion to remove the statue immediately. 

Councillors also voted in favour of the amendment put forward by councillor Paul Singh calling on city staff to look into the installation of Indigenous artwork adjacent to the statue. 

The staff report and recommendations will now be presented to Kitchener city council on June 20.