Sir John A. MacDonald Monument

Cultural Origin of Subject: Scotland

Depicted in his monument in the ceremonial uniform of a British Knight Commander of the Bath, Sir John A. MacDonald was a Scottish immigrant to Canada and the first prime minister of Canada following Confederation. MacDonald was particularly disliked among French Canadians for allowing the francophone Métis secessionist leader Louis Riel to be executed following a sham trial. MacDonald’s opulent monument was publicly unveiled in 1895 to the accompanying tune of “Rule Britannia” and was sculpted by an English artist, George Wade, who was famous for the many works he produced of the British Royal Family. The baldachin of MacDonald’s monument is topped with two lions that symbolize the British Empire and that are similar in appearance to the nearby Lion of Belfort monument.