Engagement and education on controversial Kitchener statue could last up to a year, cost up to $30,000: report

The base of the Queen Victoria statue at Victoria Park in Kitchener is seen covered in red paint on May 5, 2022. (Stephanie Villella/CTV News)

A public engagement and education process to determine the future of the controversial Queen Victoria Statue in Kitchener could cost up to $30,000 and take up a year to complete, according to a city report.

The report, included in the June 8 Finance and Corporate Services Committee meeting agenda, outlines the approach recommended by city staff.

It would see staff launch an “equity-driven community engagement process” to gather ideas and feedback from the community on the statue, alongside a public education component.

The statue in Victoria Park has been doused in red paint four times in the past year, including twice in the past month. Removal of the paint costs around $5,000 each time, depending on the amount of paint and complexity of the application, the city said.

Multiple calls have been made to remove the monument due to its connection with – and what some see as celebration of – colonization in Canada.

According to the city report, the statue was commission by the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire and dedicated in 1911. Over the past 10 years, around $60,000 has been spent to preserve and remediate the artwork. A conservation assessment in 2013 estimated annual maintenance and restoration work at $5,500.

Asked about the future of the statue at an event on Friday May 27, Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic told CTV News he continued to be concerned by the repeated vandalism, but said the city was committed to the engaging in a broader discussion.

“As city we’re very committed toward public debate, discourse, disagreement, civil protest around issues that matter to the community, but there’s no time and place for damaging public property, not in this community, not in any community. So certainly I would hope that that comes to an end,” he said.

A FOUR PHASE PLAN

Staff recommend a four stage approach to engagement and education spanning an eight to 12 month period.

Phase 1 would involve preparation and research.

Phase 2, proposed to last from October to February, would allow the public at large to provide input while prioritizing the voices of Indigenous, Black and racialized community members, city staff said. Proposed consultation tactics include online surveys, focused conversations with small groups, and presentations to associations and organizations. An education campaign would also accompany this phase.

According to the report, staff view the public education aspect as particularly important “given the complex nature of the issue and the historical legacy the Queen Victoria Statue represents.” Education would include information on Queen Victoria and the statue and its impacts, including the ongoing effects of colonization.

Following the engagement and education period, city staff will summarize the findings in a report to council with recommended potential next steps for the statue.

After that, it would be up to council to decide what to do with the statue. The final phase of the plan, the implementation of council’s directive, is proposed to take place in May or June of 2023.

‘SMALL BUT IMPORTANT STEP TOWARD RECONCILIATION’

Staff note that while the strategy outlined in the report focuses specifically on the Queen Victoria statue, it’s part of a much bigger body of work “the City of Kitchener is in the beginning stages of undertaking.”

“Acknowledging and addressing the harms colonialism has had on Indigenous, Black and other racialized populations and incorporating an equity-driven approach to conducting community engagement and gathering public feedback is a small but important step towards reconciliation and decolonization in all the work that we do,” staff said.

The estimated cost of the strategy is $15,000 to $30,000. That will cover enagement of an external consultant if needed, the printing of materials for the education and enagement phase of the project and expenses related to community engagement like equipment, supplies and refreshments.

The city’s finance and corporate service committee will discuss the report and staff’s recommendation on June 8.