Canadian Figures
Statues are erected to reflect and / or represent an event or character that it depicts. The St. Catherines City Hall statue, erected in 1886, represents a militia member from the Winnipeg 90th division named Private Alexander Watson. The statue of Private Alexander Watson should be taken down as it does not represent what was once intended. Also, there are other concerns that support the removal of the statue, with the restoration price being one of them. As well, modern thinking about Louis Riel and his intents no longer reflects the Canadian identity.
The statue of Private Watson does not belong at city hall because it no longer represents its original intent. The statue has become meaningless over time. Its meaning was only relative for the first thirty years that it stood there. During that time it stood as a memorial for fallen soldiers, which was not the original intention as stated in the Johnston and Ripmeester article, “Moreover, for about 30 years the memorial served as a focus for efforts to remember fallen soldiers. Time, however, has not been kind to the monument.” This is very true as many people do not know what the statue actually stands for or the history behind the statue of Private Watson. In the article by Johnston and Ripmeester, their survey result proves this in saying, “Only 6% of those surveyed were able to identify the monument’s purpose.” The survey was taken of residents who live near the statue and yet they did not even know what it stood for. Clearly, the meaning of the monument has been lost, rendering it pointless. Therefore, removal of it is crucial.
Another factor drowning out the memory of the statue is that the image of Louis Riel has changed. Louis Riel is seen now as one of the founders of Canada, so the statue truly speaks against this and therefore should be taken down immediately.
The statue is over 120 years old. To be exact, it is 124 years old and it is deteriorating at a quick pace. The decaying of
The statue of Private Watson does not belong at city hall because it no longer represents its original intent. The statue has become meaningless over time. Its meaning was only relative for the first thirty years that it stood there. During that time it stood as a memorial for fallen soldiers, which was not the original intention as stated in the Johnston and Ripmeester article, “Moreover, for about 30 years the memorial served as a focus for efforts to remember fallen soldiers. Time, however, has not been kind to the monument.” This is very true as many people do not know what the statue actually stands for or the history behind the statue of Private Watson. In the article by Johnston and Ripmeester, their survey result proves this in saying, “Only 6% of those surveyed were able to identify the monument’s purpose.” The survey was taken of residents who live near the statue and yet they did not even know what it stood for. Clearly, the meaning of the monument has been lost, rendering it pointless. Therefore, removal of it is crucial.
Another factor drowning out the memory of the statue is that the image of Louis Riel has changed. Louis Riel is seen now as one of the founders of Canada, so the statue truly speaks against this and therefore should be taken down immediately.
The statue is over 120 years old. To be exact, it is 124 years old and it is deteriorating at a quick pace. The decaying of