The day after the toppling and beheading of the statue of Egerton Ryerson — an architect of Canada’s residential school system — people are weighing in on what they witnessed and what they think should happen next.
Kathy Le, 70, was at Sunday’s toppling — an act she figured was long overdue.
“They hammered and sawed to take the head off,” she said. “The school should have taken it down long ago.”
Walking past the remains of Ryerson University’s namesake on Monday morning, Chris McLaren expressed his support for those who destroyed the statue.
“I think it’s good. I’m glad they finally tore that trash down,” he added. “I think they could easily put something else up there. They don’t have to put up something that represents what Egerton represented.”
For years, students and faculty have been demanding not just the statue be removed, but the name of the university also be changed.
“The statue will not be restored or replaced, “ Ryerson President and Vice-Chancellor Mohamed Lachemi said in a statement on Monday.
A Ryerson task force studying Egerton Ryerson’s legacy will not rush its work now that vandals topped the controversial statue.
“Despite the urgency expressed by some this week for immediate change, it is vital that we respect our commitment to the community for a transparent process,” task force Co-Chairs Joanne Dallaire and Catherine Ellis said in a statement.
“With the statue removed, there may be regrets that the many students, faculty, staff and community members who have worked tirelessly towards its removal were not offered the opportunity to witness the moment it came down.”
