Four months ago, Parks Canada announced it would implement the recommendations of the Champlain Monument Working Group.
Those recommendations, after many months of consultation, called for the refurbished bronze statue of French explorer Samuel de Champlain to be returned to the centre of Couchiching Beach Park, atop a rebuilt plinth.
The other central components of the statue, erected in 1925 - the First Nations figures along with the figures of the fur trader and the missionary - will not return to their customary spots below Champlain.
Rather, the goal is to “re-imagine their presence in the immediate vicinity” of the monument.
On top of that, the text of the plaque on the monument will be updated to “honour the original intent with the context of contemporary knowledge and wisdom.”
And, additional interpretive signage/pieces will be “developed and created with the participation of First Nations representatives to tell a historically accurate story” of Champlain and his relation with First Nations.
In a July 24 statement - the same day the recommendations were made public - Parks Canada said the re-installation of the central figure of Samuel de Champlain will begin “immediately.”
Yet, Champlain has not returned to the park.
But Karen Feeley, of Parks Canada, said work is progressing.
“Although the site in Orillia remains unchanged, work behind the scenes began immediately and continues to move forward,” she told OrilliaMatters this week.
“In order to implement the recommendation of the working group, a new plinth needed to be designed to make the necessary changes to the monument and this work is currently underway,” Feeley said.
“Parks Canada continues to work with the general contractor to expedite the re-installation process,” she added.
When asked if the work could be completed now that winter has arrived, she said “we are working with the contractor on that.”
She could not provide a definitive date.
“Future re-installation updates will be provided as they become available,” she said.
While the central figure of Champlain is expected to be returned soon, the other components may take time.
“Parks Canada is committed to sharing Canada’s history through wide-ranging and sometimes complex perspectives, and ensuring that the history and voices of Indigenous peoples are incorporated at Parks Canada’s heritage places,” Feeley told OrilliaMatters earlier this year.
“The commitment to consult with the Chippewas of Rama First Nation and the Huron-Wendat Nation on the future of the First Nations figures is an example of the Government of Canada’s commitment to working collaboratively with Indigenous peoples and honouring their contributions to our shared heritage and history.”
She said “the re-imagining of the monument and its associated figures will provide much-needed context, detailing a richer story of Champlain’s arrival in the area and his interactions with First Nations.”
She said consultation “will take place later this year with the goal of honouring the past within the context of contemporary knowledge and wisdom.” Included in the consultation will be the wording of the plaque.
“There is currently no set timeline for the re-installation of the figures, based on a new vision for their presentation,” Feeley noted.
“In its role as a national storyteller, Parks Canada has an obligation to provide a balanced, inclusive and comprehensive overview of Canada’s history,” said Feeley. “But for too long, too much of the country’s history has been told from a single static perspective, which does not reflect the full breadth and diversity of Canada's history.”
In 2017, Parks Canada removed the statue from Couchiching Beach Park for restoration.
It was originally supposed to be returned to the park in the summer of 2018. However, controversy about the statue and its portrayal of history grew such that Parks Canada opted to delay its return to obtain more input.
