United Empire Loyalist Descendants Care About Facts of History

The following question has been posed: “How does Kingston move forward on a path of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples while addressing the legacy of Sir John A. Macdonald?”

The members of the Kingston and District Branch of the United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada are concerned that addressing this question may result in the City of Kingston attempting to re-write history.

We are a group particularly interested in history: accurate history. We celebrate the fact that our ancestors were among the early non-indigenous settlers of what is now Canada, after they were forced to leave the Thirteen Colonies as refugees following the American Revolution, simply because they had supported the losing side. In the newly-formed United States, there was no room for difference of opinion, even though they enshrined “freedom of speech” in their new Constitution. When our ancestors moved north, they brought with them the concept of tolerance and discussion of varying viewpoints.

Our members research their descent from a Loyalist ancestor using facts and documentation to prove the family linkages. History is made up of facts that cannot be altered retroactively.

It is a fact that the residential school system – started before Sir John A. Macdonald was prime minister, and continued long after his death – was harmful to generations of indigenous children. But he alone was not responsible: countless members of parliament and civil servants, religious leaders and teachers, played a role over decades. It is therefore erroneous to ascribe the full responsibility for problems to him.

It is also a fact that without the leadership from Sir John A., Canada might not have been created in 1867. All Canadians must continue to appreciate him for that reason.

We urge City Council to consider whether it is necessary to do anything to answer the question outlined above. If the majority of Kingstonians truly feel it is necessary, then signage or an educational display panel could be erected near the statue of Sir John A. Macdonald in City Park, explaining that despite his outstanding role as Father of Confederation some of his domestic policies were wrong when seen through 21st-century eyes. But please, do not remove the statue, which itself is part of Kingston’s history. Do not replace his name on streets, buildings or rooms.

The same applies for any other street or place named for other historic figures. Our views of them may shift, but the facts of what they accomplished must stand unchanged.

Nancy Cutway UE

Publicity Coordinator

on behalf of

Kingston & District Branch

United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada

www.uelac.org/Kingston-Branch

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