OrilliaMatters received the following letter from Charlene Eales regarding the future of the Champlain Monument.
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I ask that the mayor and council members of Orillia, and Parks Canada, make the proper decision to not return the Champlain Monument to Couchiching Beach Park.
My ancestors, Huron Wendat and Ojibwe, were the original people of that land and I grew up in the town of Orillia.
I recently read the statistics for the people in favour of returning the statue. I do not believe these numbers show an accurate representation and I am very concerned that the wrong voices are being heard.
If the City of Orillia and Parks Canada return the statue to the park, it will send a very clear public message about what Orillia and the Government of Canada think about reconciliation.
Please join other cities that are choosing to remove offensive statues from public places. These statues could be placed in museums with a sign telling a proper version of history. Then, people who want to see them could and people who find them offensive don't have to look at them.
It's 2019 — even in Orillia. Please do the right thing.
Sincerely,
Charlene Eales
