A statue of Sir John A. Macdonald at City Park in Kingston, Ont., was discovered defaced Friday, Jan. 11, 2012, on the 198th anniversary of the birth of Canada's first prime minister. (QMI Agency/Elliot Ferguson)
KINGSTON, ONT. - A prominent statue of Canada’s first prime minister was vandalized on what would have been John A. Macdonald’s 198th birthday.
On Friday, dozens of people gathered at the statue in City Park in Kingston, Ont., to mark the birthday of the late prime minister — just hours after spray paint was removed from the monument by city-contracted workers.
Some time overnight, vandals wrote phrases such as, “This is stolen land,” “Murderer,” “Colonizer,” “Sir John A. Killer” and “F--- Canada,” across the statue. Red paint was also splattered on the monument.
Lisa Canoe, a Mohawk from Akwesasne Mohawk Territory near Cornwall, Ont., said she doesn’t believe there is a connection between the growing Idle No More movement and the vandalism.
“I know it wasn’t any of our people,” she said. “(The public) can’t blame it on us because there is no proof. I think it’s just wrong.”
