Frank Oliver plaque permanently removed by City of Edmonton
An often-vandalized memorial featuring the face of former MP Frank Oliver will no longer be displayed in front of Edmonton's Fairmont Hotel Macdonald.
The plaque was removed by city crews on June 10 as part of general maintenance in the area and a decision has been made to not put it back.
Oliver served as minister of the interior between 1905 and 1911 when the federal government enacted a number of policies targeting Indigenous land rights and restricting immigration.
"The city is committed to reconciliation with Indigenous nations and therefore we have no plans to replace the plaque of Frank Oliver," city spokesperson Mary-Ann Thurber told CTV News Edmonton Thursday.
"No decision has been made about what will happen to the bas-relief image."
The plaque had been covered in red paint at least twice in the last two years.
Frank Oliver died in 1933.
The controversy surrounding honouring his namesake heated up in 2020, leading the Oliver Community League to request that Edmonton rename the neighbourhood. In 2021, a shopping centre dropped "Oliver" from its name.
Thurber said the city is currently drafting a new policy for statues and memorials, which will be presented to council later this year.
"That policy will outline how the city supports the commemoration and recognition of individuals, events and organizations to ensure we stay up-to-date with and are reflective of our diverse and inclusive community values," Thurber wrote.
Local statues of Emily Murphy and Winston Churchill have also been smeared with red paint.
The spot where a Frank Oliver plaque used to be displayed on Jasper Avenue and 100 Street (John Hanson/CTV News Edmonton).
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Train derailed in Sarnia after colliding with a truck
Police are investigating after a transport truck collided with a train in Sarnia.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.