Mayor cautions against protesters' plans to tear down Cornwallis statue

Halifax's mayor says forcibly removing the statue of Edward Cornwallis in downtown Halifax will set back progress on reconciliation with Mi'kmaq people.

A group of protesters is planning to tear down a statue of Cornwallisin a south-end park this Saturday.

SuzannePatles started the Facebook group Removing Cornwallis, which saysprotesters plan to "peacefully remove" the statue that "for too long has been representing genocide in Mikmaki."

Patleswants the municipality to pledge to remove the statue by Natal Day Halifax's birthday "to commemorate the truthful historic founding of Halifax."

Otherwise, the protesterswill remove it themselves.

"The true origins do not lie with Cornwallis.That is revisionist history," said Patles, a Mi'kmaqactivist.

Removal will 'set back progress,' mayor says

Cornwallis, a governor of Nova Scotia, was a British military officer who founded Halifax in 1749. The same year, he issued the so-called scalping proclamation, offering a cash bounty to anyone who killed aMi'kmaqperson.

In a statement issued Tuesday about the protest, Mayor Mike Savage said he wouldn't stand in the way of a legitimate public protest, but taking down the statue this weekend could have negative consequences.

"IfMi'kmaqactivists and their supporters take down theCornwallisstatue before we are given an opportunity to co-operatively forge a better way forward, we will set back progress that is already being made," he said.

Halifax regional council voted in April toform an expert panelthat includesMi'kmaqvoices to advise the municipalityon issues stemming from public spaces and monuments named afterCornwallis.

Savage said any action this weekend to remove the statue "is not condoned by the Nova Scotia Assembly ofMi'kmaqChiefs, by the bands that have land within HRM."

Savage said Halifax should open itself to other possibilities, like finding a way to share the municipality's whole history in the park.

Reconciliation slow

Patles said council could be moving faster to reconcile peace.

"What is the Halifax Regional Municipality doing where they had more time to venerate the donair as the official food of Halifax?" Patles asked.

The statuehas been vandalized in the pastand has been the site of protests.

A demonstration and Indigenous ceremony held at the statue on Canada Daymade headlines across the countryafter protesters clashed withfive members of theProud Boys,so-calledfraternal organization of western chauvinists.