When it comes to evaluating the legacy of important historical figures, Context Matters.
What’s the Problem?
Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, once celebrated as a nation-builder, is increasingly being erased from public memory. Today, many students graduate from high school without ever learning about Confederation or the extraordinary leadership it took to forge the nation of Canada. Statues of Macdonald have been removed from public spaces or boxed up in plywood; his name has been removed from schools and highways. And too often, he is judged by 21st century sensibilities — without any effort to understand the complexities of his time or the full picture of his achievements.
This is not just about one man. It’s about how we teach, remember, and respect the very foundations of our country.
Why It Matters
A nation without a shared understanding of its history loses its identity. When we forget — or are never taught — what brought us together as Canadians, we leave space for division, misinformation, and national self-doubt. We risk replacing knowledge with shame and letting loud voices rewrite our past without balance or context. Remembering our history, with all its complexities, isn’t about glorifying it—it’s about understanding it more fully, as a basis for moving forward together.
What We’re Doing About It
The “Context Matters” campaign is part of the CIHE’s commitment to contribute to conversations about Canada’s historical figures, bringing context and candour when they are unjustly maligned or their contributions diminished, in order to promote a deeper understanding and richer appreciation of our shared past.
Our other initiatives in this regard include:
- Commissioning new historical research to tell the story of Macdonald and Canada’s founding in all its complexity, and of other important figures in Canadian history;
- Hosting expert-led public events and lectures to deepen public understanding;
- Producing educational content to raise awareness and counter misinformation;
- Engaging educators and policymakers to bring Confederation and civic literacy back into Canadian classrooms
How You Can Help
You don’t need to be a historian to make a difference.
our CIHE email list
our “Context Matters” video on your social media channels
to support research, outreach, and education efforts
Together, we can restore a proud, informed understanding of Canada’s past—one that gives us the confidence to shape our future.
About the Video
The individuals profiled in this video raise a debate around presentism, which means judging historical figures by today’s standards without making any effort to understand them in the context of their time. We believe it’s possible to acknowledge both the accomplishments and flaws of historical figures without erasing them from history.
Some brief context on each of the individuals:
Winston Churchill War Hero / Imperialist
Churchill is celebrated for leading Britain through WWII with defiance and resolve, yet criticized for his racist views and his role in such events as the Bengal Famine. (For a balanced consideration of the charges against Churchill in regard to the Bengal Famine see Nigel Biggar, Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning, pp. 192—96).
Tommy Douglas – Universal Medicare / Forced Sterilization
Douglas is praised for introducing Canada’s first universal healthcare system in Saskatchewan, but also criticized for supporting eugenics and advocating the forced sterilization of people he deemed “mentally defective.” (“Sterilization was a mainstream, even popular, idea in the first half of the 20th century and was promoted by progressive Canadian reformers such as J. S. Woodsworth and Nellie McClung.” See Gregory P. Marchildon, Tommy Douglas and the Quest for Medicare in Canada, pp. 42—44).
Thomas Jefferson – “All men are created equal” / Slave Owner
Jefferson was the primary author of the U.S. Declaration of Independence and a champion of liberty, while owning hundreds of enslaved people and profiting from their labor.
Mahatma Gandhi – Pacifist / Racist
Gandhi is an icon of nonviolent resistance and Indian independence, yet condemned for racist statements about Black Africans during his years in South Africa.
John A. Macdonald – Nation Builder / Colonizer
Canada’s first Prime Minister, the primary architect of Confederation and national expansion, is also accused of enacting policies that harmed Indigenous peoples, including residential schools and forced relocations. (For more on the charges against Macdonald see the videos and articles available on this site).