Kitchener council votes to get public input into future of oft-vandalized Queen Victoria statue

Kitchener city council has voted to proceed with recommendations to seek public input into the future of the Queen Victoria statue — which is in downtown Victoria Park and has been vandalized several times. 

Council also voted Wednesday in favour of an amendment to the recommendations, which was tabled by Ward 6 Coun. Paul Singh, to commission new temporary public artwork that would recognize Indigenous people at the site.

"It's appropriate for us to have balance, while at the same time, it's especially important for us to take time to hear all the voices," Singh said during the finance and corporate services committee meeting. 

The recommendations from the report, as well as the amendment, will be brought forward for approval during a June 20 council meeting.

The City of Kitchener said it would begin community dialogue after city crews cleaned red paint that had been thrown at the statue for the third time, in early May.

Since last July, the statue has been splattered with red paint at least four times. The most recent incident was reported May 25, following the Victoria Day weekend.

Criticism of the statue has focused on concerns colonialism has harmed Indigenous people.

Calls to remove statue before engagement starts

If the report is approved, the first phase of the community engagement process would begin in July, with community engagement and education set to begin in October during Phase 2 of the project.

Phase 2 would run until February 2023, with a final report expected in spring 2023.

City council also heard from 11 delegates during Wednesday's meeting. Nine of them, including Wilmot Coun. Angie Hallman, called for removal of the statue before community engagement begins.

Hallman shared her experience as an elected official whose community went through a similar process with Baden's Prime Minister's Path project last year.

"I would deeply consider that you remove the statue first before having the consultation process and I say this because, psychologically speaking, eliminating the harm is imperative to productive conversations," Hallman said.

"So many people who are in the marginalized community were fearful of engaging, fearful of being seen, when you have something erected that stands with the harm that's being caused to them."

David Alton, who's with Ground Up Waterloo region, echoed Hallman's remarks, calling for council to amend the motion to remove the statue during the process.

"I'm concerned that the consultation as proposed without these amendments does not meet this standard of community engagement," Alton said. 

"You cannot have a trauma-informed and equity-driven consultation process with the agent of colonial harm still standing. The statue must come down first so that those traumatized by colonization can participate."

Several delegates pointed to lessons learned in Wilmot and urged council to at least remove the statue during the process.

Other delegates recommended putting art installations or a wreath along side the statue and adding security to monitor and protect it.

Ward 10 Coun. Sarah Marsh tabled an amendment to reflect delegates' call, recommending the statue be placed in safe place during the process, but it did not  move forward.