Sir John A. Macdonald: A Legacy of Controversy

Sir John A. Macdonald has become a controversial figure in modern times. Of course, he was Canada’s first prime minister, responsible for bringing about Confederation and building a rail line across the country. But in this era of truth and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, his image has become a symbol of oppression to some. It was his policies that saw the starvation of the Prairies’ Indigenous tribes, to force them on to reservations and assimilate them. And it was his government that brought in the residential school system. But is removing his statues and name from schools and buildings removing his legacy or dishonoring an historical figure?



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