Wilmot Township council set to decide future of Prime Minister’s Path
The fate of Wilmot Township’s Prime Minister’s Path project will soon be decided.
A presentation is being brought forward to council in a special meeting on Monday and will advise the removal of all existing statues in the community.
This comes months after a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald, which was on display in front of Castle Kilbride in Baden, was put away following multiple acts of vandalism.
“The divisiveness has been allowed to fester for a long time and I would like to see us move forward,” said Coun. Cheryl Gordijk.
The report by the First Peoples Group will be discussed ahead of the vote whether or not to remove the remaining statues from the path.
“We’re not saying eliminate, melt them down, all that, nobody is saying that,” said Guy Freedman, president of the group. “They’re saying let’s find a better way to tell a better story.”
The Indigenous advisory firm has consulted more than 450 residents since April and is recommending the immediate removal and discontinuation of the project.
“The ignoring of the Indigenous voices of our community, where we sit on two treaty lands, I think was negligent,” said Gordijk.
Freedman adds their consultation involved talking to youth and leaders tomorrow.
“It was considerable to say to the youth ‘what do you think about this? You will inherit this place,’” he said.
One youth says the statues should be removed because they inflict generational trauma for people, while another youth says the statues should stay up to bring awareness to the community about the topic.
Following the horrific findings of unmarked graves at former residential school sites, Freedman says many people wanted to resubmit and reconsider their responses.
The firm is also advising the township to create a working group to support community healing and commit to transforming engagement in the township.
Delegations will follow the presentation, with each being capped at five minutes of speaking time.
“To give it some response to people that would be in the audience listening,” said Gordijk. “There’s still ongoing trauma and pain and sorrow and grief.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.