Frank Oliver plaque in Downtown Edmonton doused with red paint a second time, adds to recent rash of vandalism on memorials

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A plaque honouring Frank Oliver outside the Hotel Macdonald has been vandalized with red paint for the second time in a year.

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It is believed the memorial was doused with paint earlier this month, but the City of Edmonton was only made aware Wednesday morning. In a statement to Postmedia, Edmonton Police Service spokesman Scott Pattison said the hotel hadn’t notified police of the vandalism.

This is the second time the Downtown plaque has been vandalized within the last year and also adds to the recent rash of vandalism on statues commemorating historical figures. Just Tuesday, the statue of Emily Murphy in Emily Murphy Park was found splashed with red paint with the word “racist” written across it. The Edmonton Arts Council had the statue cleaned within two hours with a $1,200 price tag. About a month ago, a statue of Winston Churchill near city hall was defaced with red paint as well.

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Oliver, for whom a neighbourhood and several facilities in Edmonton are named after, was an Edmonton-based federal member of parliament and minister from 1904 to 1917 and led the removal of Indigenous people from their land through the Oliver Act. Last summer, the Oliver Community League announced plans to begin a renaming process for the neighbourhood in collaboration with the city.

In a statement to Postmedia, City of Edmonton spokeswoman Mary-Ann Thurber said the city is currently reviewing its naming and monument policies to develop strategies and next steps for memorials or site names given to people whose ideas or actions no longer reflect societal values. To date, there has been no discussion about removing the plaque dedicated to Oliver. The plaque will be cleaned by a contractor from Capital City Cleanup, Thurber said.

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Responding to the red paint sprayed on the Emily Murphy statue, city manager Andre Corbould issued a statement Tuesday evening noting the city understands the concerns of Edmontonians who believe some statues should no longer be in place, but said vandalism isn’t the answer. He said through the policy reviews, the city is working to address these concerns, but that work takes time. A report is scheduled to be presented to council Aug. 24.

“Criminal acts will not drive city policy,” he said in the statement. “People’s attitudes and values change and governments must keep in step with those changes. But that can’t happen overnight and we ask for people’s understanding and patience so that the solutions we develop reflect our broader society.”

duscook@postmedia.com

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