Quebec municipalities offer to house Samuel de Champlain statue from Ontario
A handful of Quebec cities are vying for a controversial 4-metre bronze monument of the 17th-century explorer that has been in storage since 2017, after Orillia, Ontario considered melting it down.
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A handful of Quebec municipalities and organizations are offering to take a controversial statue of Samuel de Champlain from an Ontario city in Simcoe County.
The nearly four-metre-tall bronze monument of the 17th-century explorer and founder of Quebec City was removed from a park in Orillia, Ontario, and placed in storage in 2017 following debate over its colonial imagery.
Orillia Mayor Don McIsaac said a wave of offers poured in after the city recently raised the possibility of melting the statue down. McIsaac said he received more than a dozen expressions of interest, mostly from Quebec municipalities and franco-Ontarian communities.
The municipalities of Champlain and Lévis, both in Quebec, are among those hoping to give the statue a new home. But for now, the statue stays in storage as city council continues to debate its future.
By the numbers
How tall is the Samuel de Champlain statue?
The Samuel de Champlain statue in storage in Orillia, Ontario is nearly four metres tall and made of bronze.
When was the statue removed from display?
The Samuel de Champlain statue was removed from a park in Orillia, Ontario and placed in storage in 2017 following debate over its colonial imagery.
How many expressions of interest did Orillia receive for the statue?
Orillia Mayor Don McIsaac received more than a dozen expressions of interest in taking the Samuel de Champlain statue, mostly from Quebec municipalities and franco-Ontarian communities.
