Majority of Kingston Residents Want Sir John A. Macdonald Statue Returned to Original Location: Poll

The statue of Canada’s founding prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, is removed from a park in his hometown of Kingston, Ont., on June 18, 2021. The Canadian Press/Lars Hagberg

Seven out of 10 residents in Kingston, Ont., want the statue of Sir John A. Macdonald brought back to City Park following its removal in 2021, a new poll has found.

City officials removed the statue of Canada’s first prime minister from the public park in Kingston, Macdonald’s hometown, amid criticism of his government’s role in establishing residential schools. Kingston city council had voted to move the statue from City Park to the Cataraqui Cemetery where Macdonald is buried.