John A. Macdonald Memorial (Grandmaison): Difference between revisions
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Fundraising in Regina for a statue to commemorate Macdonald's achievements as [[Canada]]'s first [[Prime Minister]] began in 1891 after Macdonald's death, but it was not commissioned until 1966.<ref name="Grandmaison" /> The statue was officially unveiled in 1967, the year of the [[Canadian Centennial]]. |
Fundraising in Regina for a statue to commemorate Macdonald's achievements as [[Canada]]'s first [[Prime Minister]] began in 1891 after Macdonald's death, but it was not commissioned until 1966.<ref name="Grandmaison" /> The statue was officially unveiled in 1967, the year of the [[Canadian Centennial]]. |
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Reassessments of Macondald's role in Canadian history, particularly |
Reassessments of Macondald's role in Canadian history, particularly his [[assimilation]]ist policies toward [[Indigenous Canadians]] and [[racist]] views of Asian immigrants,<ref name="Fougere">{{cite news |last1=White-Crummey |first1=Arthur |title=Regina mayor has no desire to follow Victoria's lead on Sir John A. Macdonald statue |url=https://leaderpost.com/news/local-news/regina-mayor-has-no-desire-to-follow-victorias-lead-on-john-a-macdonald-statue/ |accessdate=2 April 2020 |work=[[Regina Leader-Post]] |date=10 August 2018}}</ref> led to statues of Macdonald being vandalized and removed in other cities in the first decades of the 21st century. In August 2017, a [[petition]] was launched for the removal of the Regina memorial.<ref name="Petition">{{cite news |title=Petition calls for removal of John A. Macdonald statue in Regina |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/petition-remove-john-a-macdonald-statue-regina-1.4266149 |accessdate=2 April 2020 |work=CBC News |agency=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=29 August 2017}}</ref> By 2018, when the statue, the only statue of Macdonald still standing in a major city in Western Canada, and one of "only a handful remaining in the country",<ref name="Latimer">{{cite news |last1=Latimer |first1=Kendall |title=Last John A. Macdonald statue in major Western Canada city seen painted 'red handed' |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/john-a-macdonald-statue-regina-vandalism-1.4795082 |accessdate=2 April 2020 |work=CBC News |agency=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=23 August 2018}}</ref> was vandalized with spray paint in February<ref>{{cite news |title=John A. MacDonald statue in Victoria Park vandalized |url=https://www.cruzfm.com/syn/343/161331/john-a-macdonald-statue-in-victoria-park-vandalized/ |accessdate=2 April 2020 |work=Cruz FM |date=23 February 2018}}</ref> and August.<ref name="Latimer" /> |
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Regina's mayor Michael Fougere characterized calls for the statue to remove the statue as trying "to erase history", but said he would be receptive to the idea of a plaque that would "contextualize" Macdonald, since "many things that he did are certainly difficult to accept by today's standards — and we should know about that."<ref name="Fougere" /> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 21:02, 2 April 2020
| John A. Macdonald Memorial | |
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| Artist | Sonia de Grandmaison John Cullen Nugent |
| Year | 1967 |
| Medium | Bronze |
| Subject | John A. Macdonald |
| Dimensions | 1.874 m × 1.905 m × 0.518 m (6.15 ft × 6.25 ft × 1.70 ft) |
| Location | Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada |
The John A. Macdonald Memorial is a public sculpture in bronze of Sir John A. Macdonald by Sonia de Grandmaison and John Cullen Nugent, located at the south entrance to Victoria Park, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is the last statue of Macondald still standing in a public space in a major Western Canadian city.
Work
Situated at the south entrance to Victoria Park, the bronze sculpture was cast in five pieces by using a "lost wax technique", and soldered together by artist John Cullen Nugent,[1] a technique he learned from candlemaking. It stands 1.874 × 1.905 × 0.518 m.[2]
The plaque underneath the statue reads "John A. Macdonald, Father of Confederation."
History
Fundraising in Regina for a statue to commemorate Macdonald's achievements as Canada's first Prime Minister began in 1891 after Macdonald's death, but it was not commissioned until 1966.[1] The statue was officially unveiled in 1967, the year of the Canadian Centennial.
Reassessments of Macondald's role in Canadian history, particularly his assimilationist policies toward Indigenous Canadians and racist views of Asian immigrants,[3] led to statues of Macdonald being vandalized and removed in other cities in the first decades of the 21st century. In August 2017, a petition was launched for the removal of the Regina memorial.[4] By 2018, when the statue, the only statue of Macdonald still standing in a major city in Western Canada, and one of "only a handful remaining in the country",[5] was vandalized with spray paint in February[6] and August.[5]
Regina's mayor Michael Fougere characterized calls for the statue to remove the statue as trying "to erase history", but said he would be receptive to the idea of a plaque that would "contextualize" Macdonald, since "many things that he did are certainly difficult to accept by today's standards — and we should know about that."[3]
References
- ^ a b "Sonia de Grandmaison: Sir John A. MacDonald (1966-67)". Downtown Regina Public Art Guide (PDF). Regina: Regina Downtown Business Improvement District. 2014. p. 14. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ Krueger, Jan (2006). Prairie Pots and Beyond. Volume 2 (thesis (M.A.)). Carleton University. p. 61. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ a b White-Crummey, Arthur (10 August 2018). "Regina mayor has no desire to follow Victoria's lead on Sir John A. Macdonald statue". Regina Leader-Post. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ "Petition calls for removal of John A. Macdonald statue in Regina". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 29 August 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ a b Latimer, Kendall (23 August 2018). "Last John A. Macdonald statue in major Western Canada city seen painted 'red handed'". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ "John A. MacDonald statue in Victoria Park vandalized". Cruz FM. 23 February 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2020.