At Wilfred Laurier University, a plan to get life-sized statues of all 22 of Canada’s past prime ministers erected on campus has baffled many.
Meant to be a stimulus for education, discussion, and awareness of Canada’s history and political leadership, the project is a lacklustre attempt to foster real creative and critical dialogue.
Various groups have also protested the statues as alienating to Aboriginal and other minority students, as some of Canada’s past leaders participated in or created racist policies.
While the statues don’t necessarily have to celebrate the leaders, the project avoids the question of why and how we should study Canadian history.
The project also provides no explanation for why these 21 men and one woman matter to our country—some who were barely in office at all, like John Turner, who was prime minister for 79 days. Students at Laurier won’t bother to learn about Canada’s prime ministers, including the one bearing the school’s name, if attempts to approach them educationally are as superficial and lazy as this project.
The school can at least try for more realistic portrayals of the leaders, where people can get an understanding of who the school is commemorating.
Laurier can add statues of Canadians who mattered to Canada. There’s a long list of them, and a good number of prime ministers aren’t on it.
