New statues added to controversial Prime Minister's Path in Wilmot, Ont.
The 'Prime Ministers Path' project in Wilmot, Ontario, has unveiled four new statues of former Canadian leaders despite ongoing controversy. The project, which aims to spark historical discussion, has faced years of pushback regarding the inclusion of figures associated with Canada's colonial history.
Why it matters
The project reflects the ongoing national debate in Canada regarding how to commemorate historical figures in the context of reconciliation and residential school legacies.
The contested project, now run by Createscape Waterloo Region, held an afternoon unveiling with the leadership of Wilmot Township at a municipal park by Castle Kilbride in Baden, a small community west of Kitchener.
"Obviously we're very happy that [the project] has found its footing once again," Don Bourgeois, chair of the board and president of Createscape Waterloo Region, told CBC News.
"Our purpose is to help create public art that has that emotional attachment, but also gets people... to have discussion about the future of Canada, the history of Canada, of art and what art is about."
The four new statues depict Sir John Abbott, Sir John Thompson, Sir Mackenzie Bowell and Sir Charles Tupper. They join statues of Sir John A. Macdonald, Kim Campbell, Sir Robert Borden, William Lyon Mackenzie King and Lester B. Pearson.
Around a dozen protesters attended, decrying the project as insensitive and poorly conceived.
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