Orillia Mayor Steve Clarke is holding out hope the Samuel de Champlain Monument will return in some form to Couchiching Beach Park.
However, he said understands why the Huron-Wendat Nation and Chippewas of Rama First Nation withdrew from the monument working group process, which led to Parks Canada deferring the monument’s return for an unspecified amount of time.
Both communities made it clear in letters to Parks Canada, the City of Orillia and each other the reason for withdrawing, Clarke said.
“It is the horrific discoveries of children’s remains in the residential school properties,” he said.
“If I were in their shoes, I’m sure I would have done the very same thing. There is and should be such a sensitivity to that.”
That’s why he, Coun. Tim Lauer and manager of culture Jacqueline Surette — the city’s three representatives with the working group — agreed to a delay in the monument’s return.
“We went along with the deferral because the landscape has changed significantly since the last working group made its recommendations to Parks Canada,” Clarke said.
Those recommendations included returning the statue of Champlain only to the plinth and, for the First Nations, fur trader and missionary figures, “reimagining their presence in the immediate vicinity of the original monument” in a way that would “result in a meaningful and concrete example of reconciliation.”
Parks Canada has not indicated when the monument might return, which has led to speculation it will not, but Clarke hopes, “when it’s appropriate, that we can create an educational component in our park and bring back Champlain.”
“I firmly believe that an empty field does nothing to start a conversation and does nothing to provide an education,” he said. “It would be ideal if we could use this opportunity to find a meaningful way to demonstrate reconciliation.”
The 12-foot-high sculpture of the French explorer was unveiled in 1925 to a crowd of about 10,000 people, including sculptor Vernon March, Grand Chief Ovide Sioui of the Hurons at Lorette — now known as the Huron-Wendat of Wendake — Chief Big Canoe and honourary Chief John Bigwind of Chippewas of Rama First Nation, the working group noted in its report.
“The council of the day in the early 1900s, I truly believe, felt they were doing something very progressive,” Clarke said, adding part of the goal was to promote reconciliation between the English and French while honouring Champlain’s relationship with Indigenous peoples in the area.
Concerns have since been raised about the depiction of the First Nations figures, appearing to cower below a Jesuit priest.
“If the Indigenous representation was on an equal footing, it could very well be a different story,” Clarke said. “As much as it is seen by many as an important work of art, it did not portray them on an equal footing.”
Recognizing the divisiveness in the community with regard to the monument, the mayor is urging people to be respectful of all perspectives and keep an open mind.
“I want our community to understand this is an extremely sensitive issue. It means different things to different people,” he said.
Officials from Rama have not responded to requests for comment.