City to store City Park pedestal to prevent further vandalism

The City of Kingston will temporarily store the City-owned pedestal which previously held the Sir John A. Macdonald statue, and is still located in City Park, to prevent further vandalism.

Following the relocation of the statue to a City storage facility on June 18, the pedestal underneath the statue was vandalized with graffiti. The city said in order to prevent additional vandalism to the pedestal, which is a part of their Civic Collection, they will place the pedestal temporarily in storage in the coming weeks, in accordance with City’s Civic Collection Policy.

“This decision is not affiliated to the one taken by Council on June 16 to relocate the statue of Sir John A. Macdonald, but rather, any actions that are planned are strictly to prevent further vandalism and protect the pedestal – which remains City property and a part of its Civic Collection,” explained Lanie Hurdle, the City’s Chief Administrative Officer. “We are currently working through details and scheduling. We anticipate that the pedestal will remain in storage while we conduct our public engagement on the future use of the pedestal.”

The process of temporarily storing the pedestal to prevent further damage is under staff’s authority, as per the Civic Collection Policy, according to a release from the City of Kingston. The planning for and implementation of the temporary removal will require some time, the city said, as it will be a complex process to ensure that the pedestal is not damaged during the removal process.

The History & Legacy of Sir John A. Macdonald Working Group, led by First Peoples Group and supported by City staff, is an integral part of the community engagement process, according to the release. The Working Group includes both Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members, representing a diversity of perspectives. As part of the Working Group recommendations, staff will develop a multifaceted engagement and consultation plan.

The Working Group also supports the City’s efforts to take meaningful steps to address issues of systemic racism and the negative impacts of colonial policies and practices in the histories that are shared about Kingston and the lands on which it is located.