"When fortune empties her chamber pot on your head, smile and say, we are going to have a Summer shower" ~~ Sir John A. MacDonald
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| Sir John Alexander MacDonald Canada's 1st Prime Minister |
Sir John A. Macdonald, despite his flaws, was a
monumental force in the creation of our nation.
He was first elected to the legislature of the Province of Canada in 1844, then in 1857 he became
premier of the politically unstable province. By 1884, with the support of
George Brown, he undertook formation of a confederation of provinces. That led to the enactment of the British
North America Act in 1867, and the birth of Canada. He was in fact, a formidable force in the creation
of the Dominion of Canada, and in the completion of a transcontinental railway
(CPR).
He served as Prime Minister from July 1867 until
November 1873, when he resigned due to the Pacific Scandal (this scandal involved
government bribery in the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway). Despite
this, he was re-elected in 1878, and served until his death in 1891.
I do not apologize for Sir John. He was amongst
other things an unethical rascal, and the man who authorized the hanging of
Louis Riel. That is part of our history, which is why I am appalled at those
who want to erase Sir John’s name from public buildings and tear down statues
of the man.
I admit that the residential school system was
thoroughly corrupt. It mistreated the
children it was charged with educating, and should have been helping to
transition to a better life. We failed our aboriginal people abysmally -- but
long after Sir John was dead.
Recent articles have panned him as the architect of
the residential schools program, but this is erroneous. Residential schools for
aboriginals were first tried in what is now New Brunswick around 1820, but they failed. Residential
schools however, were operated in Upper
Canada from the 1830s and onward, and they became the
template for later schools. During the 1870s plains aboriginals favoured
residential schools during treaty negotiations. They felt that would enable
their young to learn the skills of the newcomer society, and help them make a
successful transition to a world dominated by the strangers.
Most of those whining that his memory must be
erased, have done nothing for the betterment of our society or nation. They are
lazy, indolent, uneducated gremlins seeking to destroy what they do not understand
and have no knowledge of.
The Victoria City Council members should hang their
heads in shame for removing a statue of Sir John. It simply avoided a
confrontation with local activists, by engaging in an act of historical
vandalism.
A guest Op / Ed piece by John Feldsted
Political Consultant & Strategist
Winnipeg, Manitoba
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