Royal pain: statues’ fate unknown

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This article was published 20/05/2022 (1248 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The fate of the Queen Victoria statue, which was pulled down from in front of the legislature and decapitated on Canada Day, remains a mystery.

On the long weekend named for the British monarch, the whereabouts of the larger-than-life statue remain secret. The provincial government will only say it’s consulting with groups about what to do with it.

“Engagement is taking place with Indigenous leadership to scope out possibilities for respectful avenues of action regarding the future of the Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II statues and the prospect of broader recognition of Indigenous peoples on the grounds of the Manitoba Legislative Building.”

The monuments to the queens were toppled July 1, 2021, amid outrage over the discovery of potential unmarked graves near a former Indian Residential School in B.C. Victoria’s head was lopped off and later found in the Assiniboine River. The downed statues were moved to an undisclosed location.

At the time, Manitoba Conservative MPs called for the statues to be restored and put back, and for those responsible to be held accountable.

Cameron Friesen, who was Manitoba’s justice minister at the time, said: “Make no mistake: those efforts underway to investigate are important and those responsible for acts of violence and destruction will be held accountable.”

Brian Pallister’s remarks — in which he praised settlers who came here to build versus those who tore the statues down — was viewed as insensitive, and he resigned as premier in August.

Now, 10 months later, there’s still no plan for the statues.

The Manitoba Métis Federation has had a preliminary meeting with the province, a spokesperson said Friday.

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak said the province has been consulting with the northern First Nations organization. Treaty One Nation said it isn’t aware of being asked for input on the statue but supports changing the name of the Victoria Day holiday. “There are so many Indigenous historical figures that are deserving of that recognition,” said governance director Jolene Mercer.

The Manitoba Historical Society has not been consulted on what it would like to see happen to the Queen Victoria statue, said president Gordon Goldsborough. The society’s head researcher said he doesn’t know where it is being stored but has some ideas about what should be done with it.

“My view is that the statue should not be discarded but should be moved to some kind of ‘memorial garden’ where it, along with other such items, can be displayed along with interpretive information,” he said Friday.

“This will allow future Manitobans to understand the role these people played and why they were controversial,” Goldsborough said.

“We need periodic reminders about shameful aspects of our history so we can avoid repeating past mistakes.”

The massive plinth sits empty near the entrance to Manitoba’s seat of government. In front of it, row upon row of tiny orange flags remember the children who died at Indian Residential Schools.

Erecting a new statue at the legislature can take many years.

In 2017, a group applied to the legislative building and grounds advisory committee to erect a statue to recognize the contribution of First Nations people in the founding and development of Manitoba. A statue of Chief Peguis is expected to be in place in 2024 on the northwest side of the grounds, John Perrin, co-chair of the Committee to Commemorate the Bicentenary of the 1817 Peguis-Selkirk Treaty said Friday.

Perrin said he, personally, doesn’t know where the Queen Victoria statue belongs, but it shouldn’t be hidden forever. “It’s a historical artifact.”

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca