Ten Commandments monument returned to spot near longtime home in Assiniboine Park

A monument to the Ten Commandments has returned to Assiniboine Park following years of debate over whether it was an appropriate home for the religious statue.

The 60-year-old monument, which was moved into storage during the construction of The Leaf in 2017, was reinstalled Friday, Assiniboine Park spokesperson Lindsay Hughes said in an email statement.

The large stone statue now sits beside some trees near a footpath in The Grove, a themed garden area located southeast of The Leaf building, near the monument’s original location.

“It was placed in storage and, at the time, there was uncertainty about what should be done with it and whether the park is the best location for this type of monument,” Hughes wrote. “This quiet, peaceful setting was chosen carefully in an effort to balance the needs of all park visitors and respect the different perspectives they may have on the matter.”

The new location was selected after nearly one year of consultation with City of Winnipeg officials and other stakeholders, Hughes said.

Assiniboine Park asked the city to review the future of the monument in 2022, under the Welcoming Winnipeg policy — which helps guide the removal or renaming of historical markers with the goal of reconciliation.

City council’s executive policy committee held a vote last September and ruled the monument should remain in a public space.

“Basically, as a council, we directed our administration, our CAO, to work with the Assiniboine Park Conservancy and community members. They have done that. They followed the process that council set up for them. So I’m pleased with that,” Mayor Scott Gillingham said Monday.

Assiniboine Park previously intended to return the monument to the Fraternal Order of the Eagles, which donated it to the city in 1965.

“Initially, they responded favourably. We made tentative arrangements to move the monument, at our expense, to a location of their choosing and informed the City of Winnipeg of our plans. These plans were put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Hughes said.

The fraternity briefly showed interest in taking over possession of the monument again in 2024, but ultimately decided against it, she said.

“This quiet, peaceful setting was chosen carefully in an effort to balance the needs of all park visitors and respect the different perspectives they may have on the matter.”–Lindsay Hughes

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

Dan Lett | Not for Attribution

Tuesdays

A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world.

Sign up for Dan Lett | Not for Attribution

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Requests for comment from the fraternity’s local branch were not returned Monday.

Some in Winnipeg previously expressed concern over the future of the monument, including philanthropist Gail Asper, who called for it to be returned to the park.

About 1,200 people signed an online petition calling for the same, and several delegates spoke in favour of the monument ahead of council’s vote last September.

Asper was not available for comment Monday.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca

The Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba. If you appreciate that coverage, help us do more! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow us to deepen our reporting about faith in the province. Thanks! BECOME A FAITH JOURNALISM SUPPORTER

Tyler Searle
Reporter

Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press’s city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.

Every piece of reporting Tyler produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.