Tom Choy

Vancouver, British Columbia

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) decided to ask school districts across Ontario to drop Sir John A.  Macdonald’s name from schools and buildings “to recognize his central role as an architect of genocide against indigenous peoples.”

John A. Macdonald, on the other hand is a Canadian hero, because he was one of the architects of Canadian Confederation. In other words, he was one of the founding fathers of Canada.

The ETFO accuses Macdonald of the” creation of residential schools and other policies of control and assimilation under the Indian Act—including restrictions on movement and voting rights that lasted until the 1950s and 1960s.”

According to the head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, “ As many as 6,000 children died in the schools, though the true number is not known because the government stopped counting around 1920.” 

James Daschuk’s 2013 book “Clearing the Prairies” blames Macdonald for genocide. He claims that Macdonald was the creator of a system that “put the boot’ to indigenous peoples for decades, especially during his time as both prime minister and indigenous affairs minister for 9 years after the 1878 election. 

Tristin Hopper, writing in National Post, cautions people from condemning Macdonald right away. She says that there are other leaders whose names are in buildings or places and that their names are also “politically incorrect.” But those other leaders may have shortcomings or failings but not in proportion or comparison to the bad side of Macdonald. 

Firstoff, this is not just a case of being politically incorrect in today’s standards. In the past, Macdonald did something horribly wrong against humanity. In today’s standards of morality, he is still wrong. 

Daschuk says that even though George Washington has more than 5 slaves, he did not create slavery. Macdonald  on the other hand created the residential system of schools that resulted in the starvation and deaths of children.

To remove the name of Macdonald is not up to the teachers’ union. This may take a referendum or an act of Parliament. Don’t expect Sir John A. Macdonald’s name to be coming off soon. The current survey shows as of the morning of August 25, 2017, 71% of Canadians surveyed do not agree to removing Macdonald’s name from schools. Only around 15% of respondents want his name removed. The rest are the maybes. There were 14,622 votes cast.