Timeline: The history of the controversial Prime Ministers Path in Wilmot Township
Originally meant to honour 150 years of confederation, the Prime Ministers Path project in Wilmot Township has been splashed with controversy for nearly a decade.
Monday night, council is set to vote on a recommendation from the First Peoples Group that says the project should be scrapped altogether.
The group's report calls for the remaining four statues to be removed and for council to discontinue any future expansion.
Here is a timeline of the controversial Prime Ministers Path's history.
2013
In 2013, a group of private citizens raised money in hopes of seeing 22 former Prime Ministers moulded in bronze stand together somewhere in Waterloo Region.
Kitchener's Victoria Park was the first prospective home, but city council rejected the notion after hearing strong opposition.
2015
Wilfrid Laurier University's Waterloo Campus offers to host the statues. Mere months later, the university backtracked and removed the Sir John A. MacDonald statue after a petition highlighting his role in forming residential schools gained traction.
"Erecting bronze statues of people essentially celebrates them, rather than trying to provoke dialogue or anything else," said Laurier professor Jonathan Finn, who started the petition. "So this seemed to be just a pure celebration of Prime Ministers, which to me seems 20 to 30 years out of date."
2016
Wilmot Council unanimously approved the installation of what would eventually be 22 statues in front of Castle Kilbride in Baden, calling it the Prime Ministers Path.
The decision was made without public consultation. Mayor Les Armstrong said the public wasn't asked because the township wasn't paying for anything, simply offering space.
At the time, the project coordinator said the life-size figures were always meant to highlight both the positive and negative history.
"We want to look at not just our Prime Ministers, but the successes and failures of our country and how it influences all of us looking towards the future," Jim Rodger, then co-ordinator of the Prime Ministers Pathway Project, said in 2016.
That year, the first statue, of Sir John A. MacDonald, was installed.
2017
Three more statues were installed in 2017. They were of Sir Robert Borden, William L. Mackenzie King and Lester B. Pearson.
2018
A statue of Kim Campbell was installed in the Prime Ministers Path.
2020
In the spring, the Sir John A. MacDonald statue was covered in red paint and accompanied by summer sit-ins.
In July of 2020, council voted to undertake a pubic engagement process on the project. First Peoples Group was retained to design and lead the engagement strategy.
By the fall, council voted to remove the Sir John A. MacDonald statue and place it in storage.
Four additional statues were slated to be installed in 2020, including John Abbott, John Thompson, Mackenzie Bowell and Charles Tupper, but were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They were postponed again as a result of a review of the project.
2021
First Peoples Group complied a report following the public consultation process.
"Based on what we have heard, First Peoples Group advises the Township of Wilmot Council to consider immediately removing existing statues related to the Prime Ministers Path and to discontinue any future expansion or investment in the Prime Ministers Path as it exists today," reads the group's recommendation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.