Queen Victoria statue consultation wraps up first stage with City of Kitchener
The City of Kitchener says they have wrapped up the first phase of consultation regarding a controversial statue in a public park.
The repeated vandalism of the Queen's Statue in Victoria Park prompted the city to launch a community engagement campaign in the fall to consider the statue's future.
The plan outlined four events being mediated by placemaker and author Jay Pitter. One event was done through Instagram live and was followed by an in-person witnessing circle in November.
Two further sessions were planned for early 2023.
The city is now temporarily pausing engagement, plans to gather feedback from participants on the process so far, and says that Pitter's portion of the process has been completed.
“She's provided really valuable advice through the process, but part of the recommendation was to really engage in local facilitators to make sure we have that local dialogue as we move forward with the final recommendation,” said Justin Readman, the City of Kitchener’s general manager of development services.
The city adds that Pitter introduced the witnessing circle to get different perspectives from the community and also outlined a safer small table engagement approach to get more feedback.
Phase two of the consultation plan will move more slowly, as advised by Pitter, and be led by local community engagement facilitators.
The focus of the next phase will be to centre the voices of Indigenous, Black, and racialized community members.
Two more public engagement sessions will be held before a recommendation goes to council.
A date for those public meetings has not been set.
Consultations and an eventual decision on the statue's fate was anticipated to take about a year and cost between $15,000 to $30,000.
“We've been acting very fluid throughout the whole project,” said Readman. “We want to be reactive and nimble to understand the best needs and the best ways to make sure that we are able to consult and engage with the community as we move forward with a recommendation that people can find something to be part of because we know that we are not going to find a solution that satisfies everyone in this process.”
INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY RESPONDS
Some local members of the Indigenous community who have been very active in the project shared a statement with CTV News on Tuesday that said in part:
"We appreciated working with Jay Pitter, and although this ‘pause’ was unanticipated, we are committed to continuing conversations about the future of the Queen Victoria Statue. We are eager to continue working with the City of Kitchener on this initiative and await their announcement on next steps," said the statement from those with the Land Back Camp.
A CONTROVERSIAL PAST
The statue has been vandalized and covered in red paint several times over the years. It happened for the fourth time at the end of May 2022.
The city told CTV News the last time it cleaned paint off the statue on May 16, it cost $5,000.
Multiple calls have been made to remove the statue due to its connection with Canada’s colonialist past.
"We're idolizing these colonial figures that built this country off of the backs and blood of Indigenous people and Black folks as well," Amy Smoke, co-founder of Land Back Camp and a member of Mohawk Nation, Turtle Clan from the Six Nations of the Grand River told CTV News in May.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.