Couverture de la campagne dans les médias francophones
9 Juillet
Des démarches sont engagées pour faire de la rue Wellington un site historique
5 Juillet
L’appellation John A. MacDonald ne convainc pas
2 Juillet
Des citoyens disent non au changement de nom de la rue Wellington
Below is a collection of the 20+ news articles, op-eds and editorials that were written to cover the Wellington Street debate/issue.
Note:
Some of the news coverage may be somewhat inaccurate or omitting all the details.
In Chronological order from most recent to oldest coverage:
- July 15
City to consider renaming of Wellington St.
** This report incorrectly dates the meeting of the Planning committee on July 6, the meeting was on July 5th.
- July 11
Globe Editorial: Retreat from renaming Wellington Street
Montreal Gazette Editorial: What’s in a name? History, tradition, respect
Times Colonist (Victoria,BC): Better just to leave the names as they are
- July 10
Area MPs oppose renaming street
- July 9
Full Comment Forum: Wellington St. by any other name is still stuck in Ottawa
Today’s letters: Gossip isn’t proof, and Liberals wrong on China and history
- July 8
How Macdonald, Wellington stack up
Don’t throw away Wellington’s place in our history
Wellington St. a National Historic Site?
** This report is based on our press release.
Renaming Street a Municipal Job: Feds
** This report is based on the Globe & Mail story immediately below.
- July 7
Sir John A. Macdonald, Duke of Wellington dragged into a street fight
Lorne Gunter: Leave Wellington Street alone
Movement to rename Wellington Street Sir John A. Macdonald Boulevard raises ire
- July 6
Councillors prefer to maintain status quo
Committee approves consultations to give Wellington the boot
- July 5
Another time waster for councillors
Public Consultations on Wellington St. Name Change
**This report looks to be based on the CTV story. Please see below for why it is innacurate.
Public to weigh in on Wellington name change
**This report that states “public will get the chance to have its say on whether a historic Ottawa street should get a name change”. The consultation that was approved on July 5 is conducted behind closed-doors and involves Darren Taubman, staff of Peter Hume’s office at Ottawa’s city hall and “the federal government” (where the latter remains undefined as of July 26).
- July 2
Chris Selley’s Full Pundit: They like us, they really like us
- June 30
Better renaming choice
History says Sir John A. would want us to leave Wellington Street alone
Note: At time of publishing on the website, this op-ed had not been published by mainstream media.
Time for Canadians to stand up for Wellington
Over the course of the last few weeks, the citizens of Ottawa have heard from Bob Plamondon and his one-man campaign to rename Wellington Street. Canadians from coast-to-coast were able to read about this in the national news media, and have expressed their overwhelming opposition to the historical vandalism promoted by Mr. Plamondon. As reported in several news articles in local media, he was employed by the City of Ottawa as a special advisor and consultant. While Mr. Plamondon continues to face numerous obstacles at city hall with this initiative, he has convinced Councillor Peter Hume, Chair of the Planning and Environment Committee, to continue the crusade. One could raise a red flag and ask whether regular procedure was followed. Why, for example, did the committee staff only use one source, Mr. Plamondon, to draft their staff recommendation? The background information used to explain the report was collected solely from Mr. Plamondon who is not a historian but a chartered accountant. Using one source is an unacceptable practice in academic circles as well as among journalists. Why was this standard not upheld at the committee? To make matters worse, during his presentation at committee, Mr. Plamondon made several claims that are on record, but in most cases are historically inaccurate.
This article was prepared to correct the historical inaccuracies that have been issued in this debate that stand to confuse the average Canadian. The claim that somehow Sir John A Macdonald was “the founder of Canada” or “the father of Canada” is without merit. Portraying Macdonald as Canada’s George Washington is not only factually dishonest, but it ignores a much richer story that Canadians should be made aware of.
Sir John A Macdonald was appointed by Queen Victoria to become the first Prime Minister, the head of the government, after Confederation, as recognition of his contribution to the Confederation process (three conferences 1864 to 1866). Macdonald was the chair of only one of these conferences, the last one, the London Conference. During the whole period of these three conferences, Macdonald was one among thirty-two other men, and Cartier was his second-in-command, his closest friend, confident and ally. The process that eventually led to Confederation started in 1858 during the Macdonald-Cartier government, they were Joint Premiers of the Province of Canada.
Another false claim that Mr. Plamondon makes throughout his interventions in the media and during his presentation at committee was that Cartier was elected only once in 1867. As mentioned previously, Sir George-Étienne Cartier was co-Premier with Macdonald and services as the Attorney General of Canada East during pre-Confederation. He was also widely recognized as a member in the “Big Four” (Macdonald, Cartier, Galt and Brown), individuals whom are widely regarded as being the four most important Fathers of Confederation. Following Confederation, Cartier was elected in 1867 to represent the riding of Montreal East and in 1872, he was elected to represent the riding of Provencher in Manitoba. This is well documented in the three biographies written by Boyd, Young and Sweeny. This once again underlines the lack of proper historical research from Mr. Plamondon. His whole initiative is based on false premises, it lacks rationale.
Why is all of this important? Quite simply, it should command our attention because this issue goes beyond renaming Ottawa’s oldest street by attacking the very foundation of our national identity. Making sure that all City Councilors have access to a large array of information that is both historically accurate and portrays a plethora of different opinions will allow them to make an informed decision about whether to retain the name of Ottawa’s oldest street.
Many arguments have already been brought in defense of keeping Wellington Street’s name, including the Duke’s influence in constructing the Rideau Canal. Historian George Raudzens’s book notes that “The Ottawa- Rideau canal system was essential to the maintenance of the east-west Laurentian pattern of trade on which Canada’s identity would grow”. Canada’s economic development has been anchored to the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes, and the Rideau Canal provided a safe alternative route from Montreal to Kingston without passing near the American border. The construction of the Rideau Canal allowed the province of Canada to resist being annexed by the United States.
For his contributions to the Rideau-Ottawa canal system and Canada’s overall defensive network, we have honoured the Duke of Wellington in our National Capital for 184 years with a street that bears his name. The attempt to rename Ottawa’s oldest street is a threat to Canadian identity. With our historical character under threat, it is important for all Canadians – including those in Ottawa City Council – to set aside false claims from historical fact. Only then will Canadians understand the significance attached to altering this storied street.
Immanuel Giulea and James McLean are with the Société Macdonald-Cartier Society, one of Canada’s most dynamic youth-oriented non-profit organizations, with the mandate to educate a new generation of citizens and leaders about Canadian history, heritage and culture; increase their level of civic literacy; and bring their voices and ideas to the nation’s public policy discourse.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“SAVE WELLINGTON STREET” – PUBLIC OUTCRY DRIVES CAMPAIGN INTO HIGHER GEAR
Ottawa, ON, July 8, 2010 – The Société Macdonald-Cartier Society would like to express its extreme disappointment with the Ottawa Planning and Environment Committee’s decision to move forward with the process to rename Wellington Street, Ottawa’s oldest street.
The Society strongly disagrees with the initiative to rename one of Bytown’s/Ottawa’s original streets based on its historical and heritage value. At the very least, we hope that the consultations will be a transparent and inclusive process, allowing ample opportunity for the growing chorus of people that oppose this initiative to voice their opinions. The process undertaken by city hall should also follow the renaming process, respecting the Commemorative Naming guideline and allow for input from the Arts, Heritage and Culture Advisory Committee.
In June, the Society launched the “Save Wellington Street Campaign” (www.savewellingtonst.ca) in order to educate Canadians about the historical and cultural costs that this name change would bestow. Our organization believes that it is irresponsible to replace the name of a man who had a great influence on pre-Confederation Canada simply because he is less popular than this country’s first prime minister.
As part of our “Save Wellington Street Campaign”, the Society has also sent letters to Marie Lemay, CEO of the National Capital Commission; Larry O’Brien, Mayor of Ottawa; Richard Alway, Chairman of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC) and over one hundred other stakeholders including all city councillors, local MPPs and MPs, local heritage and community organizations. We have received overwhelming support for our position, including from prominent Canadians such as Dominion Institute founder Rudyard Griffiths, Canada’s National History Society President Deborah Morrison, and historians Neville Thompson, Bob Sneyd, John English and Ken Watson. The quotes of these and many more are available in the Supporters section of www.savewellingtonst.ca.
On July 7th, the Societe Macdonald-Cartier Society received confirmation from HSMBC that a file has been opened in response to our letter. This means that the process to designate Wellington Street as a National Historic Site has been initiated.
The Society recognizes the need to honour Sir John A. Macdonald, George-Étienne Cartier and the other Fathers of Confederation for their role in crafting the Dominion of Canada. In seeking the great Canadian compromise, the Society has offered an alternative solution that was less likely to cause controversy and public outcries against it. Currently, the section of Road 79 between Heron Ave (Road 16) and the Macdonald-Cartier International Airport is named Airport Parkway. We have suggested that this portion be renamed to Macdonald-Cartier Parkway. We believe that the current name is administratively bland and a world-class city like Ottawa deserves a better name for the road leading to its airport. Ottawa’s airport is already named after Macdonald and Cartier and naming the Parkway in the same matter would be a great way to honour these two leading Fathers of Confederation. It’s also good common sense.
At the very least, Ottawa City council should follow our recommendation in the heritage brief that was presented to the Planning and Environment Committee, and correct the spelling mistake on the street that was named after Sir John A. Macdonald. Under this initiative, “MacDonald Street” would be renamed “Macdonald Street” to better represent the man with whom it is named after.
A petition will soon be circulating to offer Canadians the opportunity to voice their support of the Society’s position. In the mean time, we invite Ottawans to continue to express their opposition to this ill-considered initiative by contacting their city councillors and Canadians their MPs.
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For more information, please contact
Mr. Immanuel Giulea (Campaign Chair)
Société Macdonald-Cartier Society
immanuel@macdonaldcartier.org
1.514.577.2669
Mr. James McLean (Communications Director)
Société Macdonald-Cartier Society
james@macdonaldcartier.org
The “Save Wellington Street” campaign is available online at www.savewellingtonst.ca, on twitter @savewellington and on Facebook.
About Société Macdonald-Cartier Society (SMCS)
SMCS is a youth-driven, non-partisan, independent, federal non-profit organization which has the objective to: Increase the awareness of young Canadians about the roles and influence of Sir John Alexander Macdonald and Sir George-Étienne Cartier during the Confederation period; increase their understanding of the central institutions of the Canadian state; and encourage civic engagement and discussions about public policy and other issues related to Canadian democracy and society.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“SAVE WELLINGTON STREET” – OPPOSITION GROWS AGAINST RENAMING WELLINGTON STREET
Ottawa, ON, June 29, 2010 – The Société Macdonald-Cartier Society (SMCS), a federal non-profit organization dedicated to upholding Canada’s history and heritage, strongly opposes the proposal to rename Wellington Street. Our position is based on considerations of the heritage and historic value of the street. Ottawa has had a MacDonald Street and a Cartier Street in the heart of the capital since the late 1800s.
On June 28, 2010, the Planning and Environment Committee released the agenda for its July 5 meeting which included the following resolution:
“That staff be directed undertake the appropriate consultation with the affected landowner, the Federal Government, on the proposal to change Wellington Street to Sir John A. Macdonald Boulevard and report back to Planning and Environment Committee and Council with a recommendation.”
The Macdonald-Cartier Society is deeply concerned by the decision of this committee to go ahead with the proposal by writer Bob Plamondon to rename Wellington Street in Ottawa as John A. Macdonald Blvd.
While Mr. Plamondon is certainly well intentioned and enthusiastic in his proposal, he is simply wrong when he states that Sir John A. Macdonald is “the founder of the country. Without him there wouldn’t be a capital.”
If Macdonald had never existed, Ottawa would still be the capital of Canada, and all because of one man – the Duke of Wellington – who ordered Ottawa into being as a military settlement in the 1820s.
Plamondon’s proposal clearly goes against the wishes of Lt. Col. John By, who named Wellington Street in honour of Wellington, the patron and greater supporter of the Rideau Canal project. Now Mr. Plamondon has persuaded Ottawa City Council’s Planning and Environment Committee, Chaired by councillor Peter Hume, to take up the crusade.
The Macdonald-Cartier Society believes that Sir John A. Macdonald would be against the idea of removing an honour that was bestowed on Wellington, one of Macdonald’s heroes. On two occasions, Macdonald’s actions reflected his deep respect for the Duke. In September 1852, Sir John A. was amongst the parliamentarians of the Legislative Assembly of Canada who decided, on the news of the death of the Duke of Wellington reaching United Canada, to adjourn its business to mourn the death of one of the greatest military leaders of all-time. In 1874, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his entrance into public life, Sir John A. Macdonald told an audience at Lansdowne Park that “The Duke of Wellington had previously decided that Ottawa was a most important point from a military point of view and had caused the Rideau Canal to be built.”
Alternative Solutions
As part of its “Save Wellington Street” campaign, the Macdonald-Cartier Society has already proposed an alternative to Mr. Plamondon’s proposal, which is to correct the name of MacDonald St in the Somerset Ward and renaming it to “Sir John A. Macdonald St”. This street is parallel to Cartier St, and to maintain the symmetry between these two streets, we also proposed to rename this street to Sir George-E Cartier St. Parallel streets are an important feature of downtown Ottawa as demonstrated by Queen and Albert Streets, and of course Macdonald and Cartier.
Macdonald and Cartier had been co-premiers of United Canada before Confederation and during the period leading to 1867, both played leading roles amongst their peers. Without Cartier, Lower Canada and French-Canadians would not have entered Confederation. Therefore, Mr. Plamondon’s proposal not only takes an honour away from Wellington, a man influential in Canadian history, but it also completely ignores the significant role played by Sir George-Étienne Cartier, whose government ensured the choice of Ottawa as capital of the Canadas in the 1850s.
In seeking a compromise, the Society has come up with an additional proposal, which it considers will satisfy the need to name an important road after Macdonald, which seems the objective of Plamondon. Therefore, the Macdonald-Cartier Society is proposing to rename “Airport Parkway” (northern portion of Road 79) to “Macdonald-Cartier Parkway”. The current name is bland, and a world-class city like Ottawa deserves a much better name for the road leading to its airport. The city’s airport is already named Macdonald-Cartier International, naming the parkway after the same names is a great way to honour these two leading Fathers of Confederation.
By making this proposal, the Society hopes that this additional way of commemoration will satisfy Mr. Plamondon’s desire to rename another road after Macdonald, and at the same safeguard Wellington’s place in Canadians’ memory. With Her Majesty in town, and her royal parade on Wellington Street, we will once again witness the historical significance of this street in our Nation’s Capital. Wellington Street belongs to all Canadians, and it has been so since 1826.
Public Reaction
The Macdonald-Cartier Society has discussed this matter with many prominent federal government and public historians, who are unanimous in opposing the proposal, but cannot voice their opinions publicly.
However, a number of other prominent Ottawans and other concerned Canadians have written to us, wanting to make their views known publicly. You can read some of them in the Supporters section here.
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For more information, please contact:
Immanuel Giulea (Campaign Chair)
Société Macdonald-Cartier Society
immanuel@macdonaldcartier.org
514-577-2669
About Société Macdonald-Cartier Society (SMCS)
SMCS is a youth-driven, non-partisan, independent, federal non-profit organization which has the objective to: Increase the awareness of young Canadians about the roles and influence of Sir John Alexander Macdonald and Sir George-Étienne Cartier during the Confederation period; increase their understanding of the central institutions of the Canadian state; and encourage civic engagement and discussions about public policy and other issues related to Canadian democracy and society.
The “Save Wellington Street” campaign is also on twitter @savewellington.
Media: The full version of this press release including the quotes is attached in PDF format.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“SAVE WELLINGTON STREET” – APPLICATION FOR NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
Ottawa,ON, June 24, 2010 – The Société Macdonald-Cartier Society (SMCS), a federal non-profit organization dedicated to upholding Canada’s history and heritage, has applied yesterday to the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada and the Minister of the Environment to have “Wellington Street” in front of Parliament Hill designated as a National Historic Site. This letter was sent on Day 2 of the “Save Wellington Street” campaign at www.savewellingtonst.ca
By sending the letter to Dr. Richard M. Alway, Chairman of Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), the Society has affirmed its belief that Wellington Street belongs to all Canadians as a centrepiece of our national heritage, and that it is therefore a site of national signficance. The Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister responsible for HSMBC, was copied on the letter.
As a military leader, Wellington defeated Napoleon Bonaparte in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815—a pivotal event celebrated in Canada and around the world. In 1819, upon becaming Master-General of the Ordnance, Wellington advocated construction of the Rideau Canal and later continued his support as prime minister of Great Britain. Wellington’s support led to the appointment of Lieutenant-Colonel John By of the Royal Engineers, the selection of the Canal’s route, and its funding. In turn, Colonel By named the first two roads in Ottawa, then known as Bytown, as “Wellington” and “Rideau” Streets.
These facts are highly significant, and particularly the naming of “Wellington Street” by Colonel By, the Founder of Ottawa. This establishes a strong connection and indicates that the Duke of Wellington is one of the founders of our National Capital. His legacy not only merits retention of the name of the city’s main street in front of Parliament Hill–but helps make the case for designation as a national historic site.
Since 1826, Wellington Street has stood at the crossroads of our national political history and heritage, witnessing virtually every development in the history of our country: as the site of Army Barracks guarding the Canal; as a main artery of Bytown and Ottawa; as the scene of construction of the Parliament buildings, and the birth of the Dominion in 1867. It has been the scene for the the annual parade route on Dominion Day, Canada Day and Remembrance Day, of the State Opening of Parliament through the past 140 years, Royal Visits, and State Funerals for Prime Ministers and Governors General. The name of “Wellington” has international significance. It is a reminder of Canada’s pre-Confederation history dating back to the aftermath of the War of 1812, whose Bicentennial will be celebrated on both sides of the border in 2012.
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For more information, please contact:
Immanuel Giulea (Campaign Chair)
Société Macdonald-Cartier Society
immanuel@macdonaldcartier.org
514-577-2669
Alastair Sweeny
The Civics Channel
613-725-1956
About Société Macdonald-Cartier Society (SMCS)
SMCS is a youth-driven, non-partisan, independent, federal non-profit organization which has the objective to: Increase the awareness of young Canadians about the roles and influence of Sir John Alexander Macdonald and Sir George-Étienne Cartier during the Confederation period; increase their understanding of the central institutions of the Canadian state; and encourage civic engagement and discussions about public policy and other issues related to Canadian democracy and society.
Note: This op-ed was submitted untitled.
The title was selected by the kind people at Spacing Ottawa.
Ottawa’s civic holiday in August is known as Colonel By Day. City Council reaffirmed that as recently as June 9–a decision that underlines the intimate connection between the City of Ottawa and its founder Lieutenant-Colonel John By.
In recent weeks, Bob Plamondon has created some publicity around the idea of renaming our venerable and historic Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill. Those in favour of renaming the street argue that the Duke of Wellington never set foot in North America and had no connection to the city. Instead of honouring a relatively unknown figure, they argue, why not pay tribute to our first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald?
No one is questions the benign intentions of these advocates. But such a move suggests great ignorance regarding the Duke of Wellington’s contributions to Canada. It was Wellington who sent Colonel By to Canada to found the city and build the Rideau Canal. The Canal, which spans over 200 kilometres, was funded by Wellington and the British taxpayers. Having founded the City of Ottawa and funded one of the world’s most famous canals, retaining Wellington Street in its current form is a fitting accolade for a man who had so much influence over pre-Confederation Canada.
There is a much more practical reason for why Wellington Street should retain its name. Sir John A. Macdonald already has a street named after him (currently “MacDonald Street”), located within a mile of the Parliamentary precinct. Ottawa City Archives has confirmed that this street, as well as Cartier Street, were both named after these leading Fathers of Confederation.
This is why the Macdonald-Cartier Society favours correcting the spelling of MacDonald St to “Macdonald” and in the process renaming the street as “Sir John A. Macdonald” St. In parallel and to send a clear message, Cartier St could be renamed “Sir George-Etienne Cartier” St. Our proposal has received the support and endorsement of award-winning author, historian and professor emeritus Michael Bliss.
For a nation that is often criticized for showing indifference to its history, a public debate about honouring Canada’s historic figures is welcome. The level of civic literacy in this country is at an all-time low. Election after election, the level of participation of young Canadians is a dismal 25% or less. As author Rudyard Griffiths says, “If you don’t know what happened in 1867, or who your head of state is, or what part of the Constitution protects your freedoms, then you are at a disadvantage when it comes to understanding, let alone participating in, the key debates shaping your society.”
Based on this ignorance, it is easy to see why replacing the name of Wellington, a British general unknown to many Canadians, with that of the better-known Sir John A. might have superficial appeal. However, while it is important to honour the Fathers of Confederation, our praise should not come at the cost of displacing others whose roles were crucial in shaping this nation and its capital.
We should find another way to honour this nation’s first prime minister that does not come at the cost of discarding an even greater historical figure—the man who set in motion the founding of Bytown/Ottawa, the man who is really the founder of the nation’s capital.
Immanuel Giulea is the Founder and Executive Director of the Société Macdonald-Cartier Society.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“SAVE WELLINGTON STREET” – OTTAWA‘S OLDEST STREET
Ottawa,ON, June 22, 2010 – The Société Macdonald-Cartier Society (SMCS), a federal non-profit organization dedicated to upholding Canada’s history and heritage, today launches the “Save Wellington Street” campaign at www.savewellingtonst.ca
The Society strongly opposes the idea of changing Wellington Street in front of Parliament to any other name.
“While it is a worthy idea to commemorate Sir John A. Macdonald in some way, this ought not to be done by erasing another crucial part of Canadian history,” said SMCS chair Immanuel Giulea.
The Society believes that were he alive today, Sir John A. would be horrified and embarrassed by the suggestion that the name of the Duke of Wellington, the greatest hero of Macdonald’s youth and formative years in Canada, would be replaced with his own—all in the name of Canadianization.
“This has made Sir John A. turn in his grave,” Giulea said. “It would be crazy for a world-class city to change the name personally chosen by the Founder of Ottawa, Colonel John By.”
The Duke of Wellington chose the location of the Rideau Canal in 1825. He sent Colonel By to build it. Col. By founded Bytown and named “Wellington” and “Rideau” streets in 1826.
“Due to the strategic location of the Canal, it is thanks to the Duke of Wellington that Ottawa later became the National Capital,” said historian Alastair Sweeny, of the Civics Channel, an online history resource. “Wellington is really one of the founders of Ottawa. Renaming the street would be a mistake.”
In fact, there is already a MacDonald Street that could be improved by correcting the spelling and renaming it “Sir John A. Macdonald St.” Nearby Cartier St. could become “Sir George-Etienne Cartier St” in parallel. The SMCS has confirmed these details with the Bytown Museum and with historians at the City of Ottawa Archives.
The Macdonald-Cartier Society hopes that wiser heads will prevail, and that the National Capital Commission and the City of Ottawa will act to prevent an act of historical vandalism in the heart of our National Capital.
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For more information, please contact:
Immanuel Giulea (Campaign Chair)
Société Macdonald-Cartier Society
immanuel@macdonaldcartier.org
514-577-2669
Alastair Sweeny
The Civics Channel
613-725-1956
About Société Macdonald-Cartier Society (SMCS)
SMCS is a youth-driven, non-partisan, independent, federal non-profit organization which has the objective to: Increase the awareness of young Canadians about the roles and influence of Sir John Alexander Macdonald and Sir George-Étienne Cartier during the Confederation period; increase their understanding of the central institutions of the Canadian state; and encourage civic engagement and discussions about public policy and other issues related to Canadian democracy and society.
