Poilievre rebukes federal board for cancelling John A. Macdonald

In 1927, Macdonald was declared a nationally historic person. The designation was reviewed in 2022 and 2023 over past controversies.

 

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre defended Canada’s first prime minister yet again after another federal attempt to cancel him over past controversies. 

The Historic Sites and Monuments Board vetoed new plaques for Macdonald due to his controversial stances on Chinese immigration and residential schools.

Directors recommended MacDonald be commemorated online, not with a plaque, according to December 12, 2023 meeting minutes. No public announcement was ever made, according to Blacklock’s.

“Sir John A. Macdonald deserves to be clearly recognized for his role in the foundation of the wonderful country we get to call home,” Poilievre said on social media.

“It’s very simple: no Macdonald, no Canada,” he added.

In 1927, Macdonald was declared a nationally historic person. The designation was reviewed in 2022 and 2023, leading to a revised Statement Of Commemoration Intent For Sir John A. Macdonald.

“He has long held a prominent but contested place within public memory that has resulted in a range of perspectives on Macdonald and his legacy,” said the Statement. “He was the subject of polarizing national debate in the early 21st century which was part of a broader reckoning with the colonial past in many Western societies.”

Cabinet earlier revised in 2019 the Framework For History And Commemoration, stating that "colonialism, patriarchy and racism are examples of ideologies and structures that have profound legacies" in Canadian history, with the minutes naming Macdonald.

Board members agreed Macdonald had “become a polarizing and controversial figure in Canadian history,” and decided against further commemoration, citing his gravesite and other existing memorials as sufficient. 

Attendees at the meeting included Leslie Weir, Library and Archives Canada chief librarian, six Parks Canada managers, and Tim Cook, Canadian War Museum chief historian.

A True North request revealed Parks Canada's desire to "decolonize" the Bellevue House exhibit, reopening it on May 18, 2024, with "racism and sexism" tours. 

The federal government has gone to great lengths to negatively portray Macdonald and his historic home as "white settler" history.

Library and Archives Canada in 2021 also deleted a celebratory post of Macdonald on its website, claiming it did not “reflect our diverse and multicultural country.”

Historica Canada later deleted a Heritage Minute featuring Macdonald, citing the residential school controversy.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Poilievre stated last March 17 that Canadians should celebrate their history, honoring John A. Macdonald, whose East-West vision is still crucial today.

Poilievre again defended Macdonald January 9 as a national hero. Saturday, January 11, 2025, marked the 210th anniversary of Macdonald’s birth.

“Stop tearing down our symbols,” he said. “We need to live out the dream that started with John A. Macdonald. … who believed in an independent and sovereign Canada.”

Please sign our petition to defend the legacy of Sir John A. Macdonald!

2,785 signatures
Goal: 10,000 signatures

Canada’s history is under attack — not by vandals, but by politicians too timid to defend it. The boxed-up statue of Sir John A. Macdonald is a symbol of our leaders’ cowardice. Help us stand up for our heritage. Sign the petition now to demand the statue be restored and our history preserved.

Will you sign?

Alex Dhaliwal

Journalist and Writer

Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.

Help fund Alex's journalism!

COMMENTS

Showing 2 Comments

Please check your e-mail for a link to activate your account.
  • Bernhard Jatzeck
    commented 2025-07-04 22:55:50 -0400
    Why not cancel him? After all, thanks to that “idiot king” Trudeau (as Kevin O’Leary called him on Fox a few days ago), Canada is no longer a legitimate country. Since that’s happened, all of its history and its symbols are now irrelevant, null, and void.
  • Bruce Atchison
    commented 2025-07-04 20:02:13 -0400
    Damn these cancellers straight to hell! I’m fed up with 1984 types who strip us of our past and our language. And who made them authorities in what should be forgotten? I predict that these woke jokers will be considered in the way we see National Socialists today.