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Proud to be part of your community! Thursday, January 21, 2016 | 32 pages
Community members, dignitaries and protesters gather to recognize Sir John A’s 201st birthday
By Mandy Marciniak
mmarciniak@theheritageemc.ca
News – Every Jan. 11, Kingston marks the birthday of Canada’s first Prime Minister Sir John A Macdonald, and this year was no exception as community members and dignitaries gathered at the Macdonald statue in City Park. The celebration is always a highlight for local historian Arthur Milnes, but this year someone tried to dampen his spirits. On the morning preceding the celebrations, Milnes found his car vandalised, his tires slashed and a burnt Canadian flag under his car in his driveway. “I was a little worried this morning. It scared me and I didn’t like it, but it did not make me want to stay home today,” said Milnes following the celebration. Events went ahead as planned minus a performance from a local school choir that was cancelled for safety reasons, but Milnes was visibly saddened by the proceedings of the morning, especially the burning of the flag. “When this tradition started, it was just a small thing with friends and family and the first time we did it, the first person here, in his wheelchair, was John Matheson, the man who helped design our Canadian flag,” said Milnes. “This morning someone burnt Mr. Matheson’s flag and discarded it like garbage at my house and that made me sad. I understand protest, but that wasn’t right. I wasn’t angry, I was just sad.” Disagreement, debate and discussion appeared to be the themes of the event this year, as celebrations happened alongside protests from the group Idle No More. As community members and dignitaries sang O’ Canada, protesters chanted ‘reconciliation comes
without colonial celebration’ and as speakers spoke, they couldn’t help but acknowledge the opposition on the other side. “Sir John A Macdonald was always about debate and in that spirit I want to welcome all of the protestors here today,” said Kingston Mayor, Bryan Paterson. “Ultimately today, I see this as a celebration of Kingston and Canada and the fact that we have a democratic society with rights and freedoms including the opportunity to protest and to engage in healthy community debate.” MP Mark Gerretsen, whose vehicles were also vandalized at his home Sunday evening, was also in attendance at the celebrations; he took the opportunity to embrace the discussions that surround Sir John A. and chose to focus on the positive. “It is great to live in a country where we can openly express ourselves and the way we feel about different things and that includes this protest,” he said. “When you think about it, a lot of these opportunities have to do with Sir John A. and what he gave us in this country that he set up for us to live in.” Former premier of Ontario Dalton McGuinty was also on hand to celebrate Macdonald and recognize both his achievements and criticisms. Mc- Community members and dignitaries gathered at the Sir John A statute in City Park on Jan. 11 Guinty spoke of Sir John A as a person and, more to celebrate his 201st birthday. Inset: Protestors from Idle No More attended the 201st birthday importantly, the father of confederation. celebrations of Sir John A Macdonald on Jan. 11. Photos/Mandy Marciniak “He was one of the most important fathers of confederation; many of us here today are mothers “History is complicated stuff and nobody is perand fathers and we have a lot of expectations for that is to do more and do better than he did in his fect,” he said. “I celebrate these people and the fact our children,” he said. “We want them to become time.” Milnes agreed with these sentiments following that they gave their lives to public service. That is stronger and better than we are. I like to think that as we stand here in the shadow of Sir john A Mac- the celebration and encouraged everyone to come what I celebrate here each year and I encourage others to do the same.” donald, we are living up to our responsibility and back in January of 2017. PRE-SPRING
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