Bell: Kenney government wants hands off old John A. – Calgary Sun

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In case you dont know old John A., hes the dude you see on some of the $10 bills.

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Well, Sir John A. Macdonald is on the hot seat again.

The Calgary Board of Education is looking at scrubbing the name of Canadas first prime minister from a city junior high school.

The public school trustees formed something called a name review committee and the group will ponder historical research and analysis related to the school name.

The school board says the group will consider the diverse perspectives of students, staff, families and community members.

They say there is complex history attached to the name.

They do not say it but theyre talking about Macdonalds establishment and strong support of residential schools back in the day.

You dont need a PhD in connecting the dots to know where this story is likely headed.

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Two schools in Ontario have recently scrapped the Macdonald name.

One is in Kingston, widely recognized as Macdonalds hometown.

The new name will be either Butternut Creek, Forestview, Maple or Mapleview. None of those names appear to cause any offence.

But here in Alberta, mention getting rid of the name of Macdonald and Premier Jason Kenney would give you an earful.

When a statue of Macdonald bit the dust in Montreal, Kenney said he would be happy to take it off their hands and put it up on the grounds of the Alberta legislature in Edmonton and protect it and defend it.

The premier said this countrys first prime minister was an imperfect man but still a great leader and a great man.

For him, without Macdonalds efforts and vision, this country would not exist and we should honour his vision.

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Kenney would go against the tide and say if the new standard is to cancel any figure in our history associated with what we now rightly regard as historical injustices then essentially that is the vast majority of our history.

Other names have been taken off of schools but they were lesser lights. Now its Macdonald.

Yes, talk about getting rid of Sir John A. from a school and the premier didnt hesitate to push right back.

Kenney would acknowledge the injustices in residential schools and say we had to face up to the darker moments in our history, but he rejected the radical, out-of-control political correctness.

On Monday, I was looking for some kind of statement from Kenney. This stuff is right in his wheelhouse.

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Throw the pitch and see him swing.

Kenney was approached through five different routes. Crickets.

Guess the premier is busy with just a little over two weeks to go before he and the rest of us finally find out his political fate, a verdict delivered by his own UCP members.

Adriana LaGrange, the Kenney governments education boss, is in the batters box.

LaGrange, a former school board trustee of many years, says renaming a school is a very serious issue.

There is no ambiguity in where the Kenney government stands.

Im not in favour and our government is not in favour of erasing or cancelling our first prime minister, she says.

He was instrumental in ensuring we have the Canada we have today.

LaGrange says no one is perfect, including our first prime minister, but he did do many great things.

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Kenneys education minister calls Macdonald one of our founding fathers.

Do you eliminate your founding father or erase the work he did?

Erasing the good Sir John A. Macdonald did in creating this great country I love and serve does not, in any way, do justice to where we should be.

LaGrange says neither she nor the Kenney government has a role in whether or not to deep-six the Macdonald name from the Calgary school.

She also makes clear residential schools promoted by Macdonald were a terrible, terrible time of our history, a terrible legacy.

She reminds us the city public school board was thinking of dropping Macdonalds name in 2018.

I believe at that time It was not successful. The vast majority were in favour of retaining the name, says LaGrange.

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Four years ago, the Calgary Board of Education said no definitive decisions had been made but they were having ongoing conversations with their Elder Advisory Council about school names and their importance.

The issue is back.

Does LaGrange feel most people agree with her, that Sir John A. Macdonald should stay on as the school name?

I believe the vast majority of people will. I believe the average Albertan understands Sir John A. Macdonald was a great leader but he was not without his faults.

So here we are.

Is LaGrange prepared to take the heat, to be a target as shes been many, many times before?

Im always prepared to be vilified, she says.

rbell@postmedia.com

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Bell: Kenney government wants hands off old John A. - Calgary Sun