In Statue of Alexander Wood, how is the Reactions to removal and destruction of the Reception elucidated?
Upon the publication of the CWVBIA's letter in 2021, Kristyn Wong-Tam voiced support for the statue's removal, though stated she was "a little bit shocked" by photographs that circulated after the removal of the statue inside a dumpster, and by the apparent lack of consultation with Newbigging's family. Steven Maynard, a historian at Queen's University, supported the removal, stating that "we pretty much always knew the Alexander Wood story, hence the reason why some of us, myself included, objected to [the statue's creation] in the first place."The extent of Wood's connection to and support of Canada's residential school system has been contested. In the National Post, writer Adam Zivo noted that Wood was an executive in a vast number of Toronto societies, that St. John's Missionary to the Ojibway was an Indigenous led-project organized by Shingwauk, and that by the time the school was integrated into the residential system, Wood had already been deceased for 37 years. The Province characterized claims that Wood was an advocate for residential schools as "largely inaccurate". Krista McCracken, historian and director of the Residential Schools Centre at Algoma University, indicated "mixed feelings" about the CWVBIA's letter, as historical consensus is divided on the status of mission schools as a direct predecessor to residential schools. McCracken stated that Indigenous community members "need to be the ones who are making decisions around what stays and what doesn’t stay. That being said, listening to community can take time and I think it’s really important to give the time and space needed to have robust conversations around this history."
Queen's University The Province Kristyn Wong-Tam mission school Ojibway residential school system Toronto Alexander Wood Krista McCracken National Post Algoma University Shingwauk