A few weeks ago, the statue of Sir John A Macdonald was vandalized at Queen’s Park and MPP Toby Barrett has been vocal about the issue.
On social media, he has made a point of defending Macdonald painting him as a pioneer for helping out black Canadians.
We spoke to Barrett regarding his several posts online and his support for Macdonald.
He has been telling a story about Macdonald with a local Simcoe connection on his social media platforms as well.
The statue itself was targeted following a Black Lives Matter demonstration.
There has also been growing discussions about the controversial Canadian figure, especially when it relates to monuments erected in his image.
But Barrett says that going all the way back to Macdonald, he believes Ontario has had a proud history of being inclusive and does not believe that Macdonald’s statue should be taken down.
He points out that Ontario, under the Ford government, has made a point to show their support for Macdonald and the statues that portray his image.
Barrett points to 2018 when Victoria removed a statue of Macdonald.
When this was done, Premier Doug Ford offered to take the statue and display it in Ontario.