Mayor Steve Ferguson has called a special meeting of Council on Monday, June 7 at 7 pm in order to have a discussion regarding “Holding Court,” the statue of Sir John A. Macdonald located on Picton Main Street.
“The national conversation sparked by the discovery of remains of 215 Indigenous children at a residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia, is reason to pause and reflect on the “Holding Court” statue,” Mayor Steve Ferguson says. “A dialogue about the statue is necessary as it relates to public safety and the contractual obligations of the municipality.”
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the meeting will be held electronically via Zoom. The public can follow the meeting on the and participate in the meeting electronically. Members of the public who wish to provide comments must contact clerks@pecounty.on.ca by noon on Monday, June 7 to register. Registered speakers will have three minutes to share their remarks with Council.
Following extensive public consultation, Council voted in November 2020 to leave the statue on Picton Main Street and explore additional messaging to encourage public discussion and education. The messaging would serve to complement the “Holding Court” statue, which a group of private citizens commissioned in early 2010 to connect Canadians to their past and the early history of Prince Edward County while commemorating the 200th anniversary of Macdonald’s birth in 2015.
The agenda for the meeting will be posted online on Monday morning and shared on the County’s Facebook and Twitter feeds.
If you have any questions regarding the special Council meeting, email clerks@pecounty.on.ca or call 613.476.2148 extension 1026