Now that pride in Canada is back in vogue thanks to the renewed “manifest destiny” musings of Donald Trump, perhaps it’s time Victoria revisited its decision to denigrate the memory of the father of our Confederation by unceremoniously removing his statue from City Hall.

As we reawaken to the realization of what an admirable country we have, we should also recognize that if it weren’t for the determination of Sir John A. Macdonald and his fellow founders, we would not have a country to celebrate.

He had his faults, especially when judged by today’s social standards, but his many achievements greatly outweigh them and should be recognized, including building of the national railway which tied the country together and made British Columbia the westernmost province.

Can you imagine the United States taking down statues and denigrating the historical contribution of George Washington or Thomas Jefferson?

Ours is not an unblemished history but we have recognized and taken steps to rectify that fact. But when you compare our history with that of other countries, I think we can be justly proud.

In the introduction to his thoroughly documented history of the Hudson’s Bay Company, entitled The Company, which led to the foundation of Canada, author Stephen R. Bown describes history as “not a single narrative, but rather many competing and intertwining narratives blending and striking off each other.”

We need to put our history into perspective and restore the father of Confederation and one-time MP for Victoria to the public display that he deserves in a setting of the city’s choosing.

David Laundy

great-grandson of Victoria pioneers Edward and Mary Cridge

Cobble Hill

Saanich council’s report on housing needs in the district makes interesting reading, but it offers no recommendations on the actual demographics of housing need.

A key clue is proved by the waitlist for supported housing. At........

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