Four years ago, a group of history nerds came together with an idea. The bicentennial of Sir John A. Macdonald's birth was on the horizon and they feared a missed opportunity.
They saw an opportunity to engage Canadians in a national debate about the country's first prime minister's legacy. It seemed a great chance to get Canadians who've just arrived and those who've been here for many generations to talk about history.
They started holding annual dinners around Macdonald's birthday to drum up interest. The first dinner drew a crowd of seven people. The following year, 50. The following year, 100. Last year, 200. This year, interest in Macdonald's bicentennial had grown so much the group needed to rent the historic Canadian Room at the Royal York Hotel to accommodate the four hundred people who showed up.
Full disclosure: I was part of that group of history nerds and I think I can say on behalf of us all that Canadians today know a lot more about Macdonald's legacy - both good and bad - than they have in the past. And that's what we wanted. Unlike what some have alleged, the goal was never to praise the man to the exclusion of the negative side of his record, of which there is plenty. Canadians have heard that Macdonald was the indispensible element in the creation of Canada, winning six elections, including four in a row, one of only two PMs to do that. But they've also heard about the head tax he imposed on Chinese immigrants to get the railway built, hanging Louis Riel, and accusations that he starved Aboriginal-Canadians off the western prairies.
At the Toronto event, Macdonald might have been amused to see the greatest applause was reserved for his chief opponent in Parliament: Sir Wilfrid Laurier. The magnificent actor R.H. Thompson brought the crowd to its feet with a thunderous ovation when he performed Laurier's eulogy to Macdonald, uttered in Parliament two days after the Old Chieftain's death on June 8, 1891. We had cameras at the event, and you can watch the stunning performance for yourself.
The other highlight of the night was the unveiling of a new massive sculpture of Sir John, which will be permanently installed in Prince Edward County. The sculpture reflects the young Macdonald arguing his first court case in Picton, Ontario. Based on the steady lineup of people who wanted to have their photo taken with the sculpture it's sure to become a popular tourist attraction. It was created by Ruth Abernethy, who, coincidentally, celebrates her birthday on the same day as Sir John: January 11th.
Adding to the historic nature of the event, the sculpture was unveiled by the first female prime minister of Canada, Kim Campbell, and the first female premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne. Appropriate given that Macdonald was the first politician in the entire British Empire to argue in favour of giving women the right to vote, a point brought to light by Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell in her speech.
Perhaps the most gratifying thing about the event: the number of different communities who gathered together to partake in our shared history. There were kilts and saris. There were First Nations and South Asians. It was a very Canadian affair.
Let the debate continue. Happy Birthday, Sir John.
Image credit: ruthabernethy.com