General Arts and Culture News

[clasher]

I think they should just buy their own plot of land, they seem to have raised a lot of money already.

Buy a small lot or two, make a small park with statues, donate it to the city.  Done!

They should also donate some money to take care of the park too, that's the long term cost that they are trying to avoid by donating to statues to someone else to take care of forever. That's my guess, anyway.

[panamaniac]

And it's not like art means anything, anyway. Right?

 
This could have been a teachable moment, where each statue is accompanied by a plaque describing the most notable actions (good and bad) from each PM, putting them in their proper historical context. That's what an institution committed to learning should have done.

Wasn't that the original intention, at least to the extent of explaining the individuals' positive contributions?

[BuildingScout]

The City doesn't have to accept a donation like that, does it? I mean, it's offensive!

I'm a card carrying SJW and self-proclaimed feminist, but I remember telling my fellow SJW way back in the early 2000s that this highly subjective "is offensive!" wouldn't lead us to any place we would like to be, and that it behooved us to articulate a better rationale than that to banish something.

Recently there was a debate to take down a Rhodes statue in Oxford. Again, I'd rather have a plaque explaining what the dude did warts and all. In his particular case given his spotty record this would be far more severe punishment than just removing the statue.

Anyway, going back to the subject at hand part of the problem with the statue proposal is that it has no connection to town. I imagine something would have been worked out rather quickly had this proposal came up in Kingston or Ottawa.

[MidTowner]

Just so we're clear, I was being sarcastic.

I agree that, if this were in Ottawa, it would have happened. But I wouldn't say it has no connection to town- these are Canadian Prime Ministers, and this is Canada. I don't feel particularly strongly about honouring our Prime Ministers or the best way to do it, but the arguments against didn't hold much water. "Slacktivism" is indeed the word.

Edit: This made me think of an article I read which I found interesting. I think it's a good solution to use existing monuments as an educational tool, telling the whole story from multiple perspectives.

[panamaniac]

The City doesn't have to accept a donation like that, does it? I mean, it's offensive!

I'm a card carrying SJW and self-proclaimed feminist, but I remember telling my fellow SJW way back in the early 2000s that this highly subjective "is offensive!" wouldn't lead us to any place we would like to be, and that it behooved us to articulate a better rationale than that to banish something.

Recently there was a debate to take down a Rhodes statue in Oxford. Again, I'd rather have a plaque explaining what the dude did warts and all. In his particular case given his spotty record this would be far more severe punishment than just removing the statue.

Anyway, going back to the subject at hand part of the problem with the statue proposal is that it has no connection to town. I imagine something would have been worked out rather quickly had this proposal came up in Kingston or Ottawa.

Canadian history has no connection to Kitchener?  I think that's too narrow a perspective.  If I could do anything to encourage Kitchener city council to re-visit the proposal to place the statues (perhaps not in the configuration originally proposed) in Victoria Park, I would do so.  Whatever one's views of the individuals, the Victorian atmosphere of the Park would be embellished by the placement of more statues.

[BuildingScout]

Canadian history has no connection to Kitchener? 

Correct. It has no particular connection to Kitchener, so it is sort of odd to highlight PMs in town. I'm not against the project by the way, I'm just saying that the lack of very clear connection makes the case harder to argue. The same could be said about a set of statues of the best ten Canadian hockey forwards, as compared to say, statues of the Kraut line: it would be much easier task to get approval for the latter.

It might be cool if they sprinkled them throughout town, in unexpected places... You turn a corner and there's PETrudeau leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette.

[clasher]

There's a statue in Victoria Park of Queen Victoria. I don't think it is has much educational value even though she was the reigning monarch during the formation of Canada. I don't think it should be removed but I doubt many people head to the park to learn about her or the history of her reign on Canada.

[tomh009]

It might be cool if they sprinkled them throughout town, in unexpected places... You turn a corner and there's PETrudeau leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette.

That would be much better than a single installation.  And daring to do somewhat unconventional statues would be better yet.  22 conventional statues of old white guys (plus Kim Campbell) in a single location is much more overwhelming and much less interesting.  Borden at City Hall garden (in office when city was renamed), Campbell at the courthouse (justice minister), St Laurent at Trans-Canada trail (created the highway). Clark at CIGI ... probably most of the PMs could find a somewhat relevant home.  And then a substantial plaque explaining not only the good, but also the background and the controversies.

Done right, I could imagine people doing walking tours through downtown/uptown to see the city and discover the statues.

[tomh009]

On the note about stuffy vs not so stuffy statues, even the official parliamentary portraits have been getting more interesting in the recent decades.
http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/House/Collec...umbs-e.htm

[jgsz]

If  this project was resurrected, I think putting it in Victoria Park in a semi-circle around the old clock tower would be cool.  The popular KW Multicultural Festival attracts tens of thousands of people and new Canadians could learn a bit of our history while they share their cultural heritage.  It would be a win-win situation.

[Spokes]

It might be cool if they sprinkled them throughout town, in unexpected places... You turn a corner and there's PETrudeau leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette.

That would be much better than a single installation.  And daring to do somewhat unconventional statues would be better yet.  22 conventional statues of old white guys (plus Kim Campbell) in a single location is much more overwhelming and much less interesting.  Borden at City Hall garden (in office when city was renamed), Campbell at the courthouse (justice minister), St Laurent at Trans-Canada trail (created the highway). Clark at CIGI ... probably most of the PMs could find a somewhat relevant home.  And then a substantial plaque explaining not only the good, but also the background and the controversies.

Done right, I could imagine people doing walking tours through downtown/uptown to see the city and discover the statues.

I think this is the best idea yet

[Spokes]

If  this project was resurrected, I think putting it in Victoria Park in a semi-circle around the old clock tower would be cool.  The popular KW Multicultural Festival attracts tens of thousands of people and new Canadians could learn a bit of our history while they share their cultural heritage.  It would be a win-win situation.

Wasn't Victoria park the original plan?  And then shot down?

[notmyfriends]

That would be much better than a single installation.  And daring to do somewhat unconventional statues would be better yet.  22 conventional statues of old white guys (plus Kim Campbell) in a single location is much more overwhelming and much less interesting.  Borden at City Hall garden (in office when city was renamed), Campbell at the courthouse (justice minister), St Laurent at Trans-Canada trail (created the highway). Clark at CIGI ... probably most of the PMs could find a somewhat relevant home.  And then a substantial plaque explaining not only the good, but also the background and the controversies.

Done right, I could imagine people doing walking tours through downtown/uptown to see the city and discover the statues.

I think this is the best idea yet

That, or in my yard.

[MacBerry]

 even if he is a DWM. 

DWM? = Divorced White Maverick?

[MidTowner]

Divorced White Male if you're reading or placing a singles ad. Desktop Windows Manager in other contexts.

I don't think Trudeau's divorce should preclude his statue being included among the others.