New documents show that Parks Canada officials were bound to a responsibility to “decolonize” Canada’s heritage and negatively portray Sir John A. Macdonald’s home as an expression of “white settler” history.
Files obtained by True North via a freedom of information request show the Liberal government’s deliberate efforts to play up an overwhelmingly negative portrayal of Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first Prime Minister, in the re-opening of his historic home.
The Bellevue House exhibit, which reopened to the public in May after a seven-year renovation, has come under fire for its heavy-handed politicized portrayal of MacDonald.
Internal planning documents released to True North now reveal that the government consciously adopted a decolonization agenda despite the public distaste for government historical revisionism.
The exhibit, situated in Macdonald’s former home in Kingston, Ontario, is the result of extensive planning and deliberations by Parks Canada. Draft versions of the exhibit scripts reveal a clear intention to cast Macdonald’s legacy in a predominantly negative light, focusing on a divisive narrative and colonial guilt.
In response to True North’s request for comment Parks Canada public relations and communications officer Kelsey Bowles denied claims that the exhibit was an attempt to erase history.
“Parks Canada has not changed Sir John A. Macdonald’s history or the impacts of his legacy, nor have we tried to erase him from history. Rather, we have updated how Sir John A. Macdonald is presented at Bellevue House. This is the first time since 1967 that exhibits and programming in the house have undergone a complete review and revitalization,” said Bowles in an emailed statement.”
One interpretive document deliberating on items to include in the exhibit, including a doll of the first prime minister mused about how MacDonald was viewed as the “super evil of all evils” in Canadian history.
Much of Parks Canada’s deliberations about creating the exhibit were rooted in a view that the prime minister’s home was first and foremost a symbol of “white settlers”.
Parks Canada’s 2024 Bellevue House Renewal Furnishing Plan describes the home as a symbol of “white settlers” and colonialism, stating, “Bellevue House is a symbol of the White Settlers’ way of life in the British North America colony in 1850.”
The exhibit’s creators emphasized their collective responsibility to decolonize Canadian history.
“We can participate in the decolonization of history by recognizing that during generations the history presented was based on a colonial vision and by listening to different voices and learning about their life story.”
Visitors to the exhibit are guided through various parts of the home, each imbued with themes of colonization and oppression. For instance, tour guides were told in an exhibit draft script that the orchard could be used to illustrate how even trees were tools of colonization, with European-bred apple trees creating “picturesque” landscapes for settlers.
“John A. Macdonald’s life at Bellevue House was constructed around deeply embedded colonial systems of class, power, and privilege,” wrote Parks Canada staff.
“As we enjoy the beauty of the orchard that stands before you, we can experience how even trees can be used to colonize a land. Apple trees, like these ones, were bred in Europe and brought to these lands to create ‘picturesque’ landscapes to suit settler ideals.”
Inside the house, the dining room and bedroom displays aim to remind visitors of the alleged cultural theft committed by white settlers.
“When looking upon a Victorian scene such as this room, some will be reminded of family traditions and mementoes handed down through generations. However, for many Indigenous Peoples, it is a reminder of our culture and our traditions that were stolen from us through colonization and assimilation,” the draft exhibit script reads.
Tour guides were instructed to continue their lecturing onto the second floor, in the bedroom too: “Macdonald’s Bedroom is the culmination of the iterative journey visitors have been asked to partake in. It is here that they will be asked to contemplate their role in making Canada’s future more equitable and Inclusive.”
“The dream of an inclusive future must be built by welcoming voices with broad perspectives into discussions about what Canada becomes as it evolves further. Canada is difficult to define—it cannot be summarized by a single moment, culture, or person,” the script continues.
In Parks Canada’s statement, Bowles added that the exhibit will continue to be updated.
“Parks Canada will continue to seek feedback from the public, stakeholders, the Community Advisory Committee, and outside experts on the interpretation of Bellevue House and will continue to add and adapt the visitor experience offer,” said Bowles.
Despite the exhibit’s negative overtones, internal emails and discussions among Parks Canada officials indicate some level of discomfort with the one-sided approach. Patricia E. Kell, Executive Director at Parks Canada’s Cultural Heritage Directorate, warned in a July 31, 2022 email against the potential pitfalls of inserting too much opinion into the exhibit.
“Including aspects of his legacy that are negative is not a problem. Engaging the visitor in critical thought about Macdonald’s legacies is even better. However, this needs to be done in a more balanced manner,” wrote Kell.
“Parks Canada should provide information and can ask questions for the visitor to reflect on. It is a problem if Parks Canada is making categorical statements of opinion or presenting information that only supports one point of view.”
A Parks Canada official told True North that the exhibit was developed over several years and sought input from a variety of stakeholders.
“This is the first time since 1967 that exhibits and programming in the house have undergone a complete review and revitalization. It was a significant undertaking by Parks Canada that required input from a broad range of individuals and communities and that required substantial consideration and contemplation,” said Bowles.
“These consultations coupled with input from Parks Canada staff, represented perspectives from a cross-section of Canadian society that provided a broad range of opinions, expertise, and perspectives that helped to inform, and ultimately support, the representation of Sir John A. Macdonald at Bellevue House.”
According to Bowles, responses to the exhibit have since been “open and positive.”
“As such, our goal at Bellevue House was to foster open discussions and broader understanding on the implications of Sir John A. Macdonald’s life and our shared history. Overall, the feedback received since the reopening of Bellevue House in May 2024 has been open and positive, and reflects success in achieving this goal,” said Bowles.
During much of the exhibit’s planning, government workers cited diversity, equity and inclusion as guiding the process. Minutes from a March 29, 2023 peer review meeting with Site and Visitor Experience Manager Tamara van Dyk showed this commitment.
“We align with inclusion. This is a historic fact, not an emotional response.”
During the meeting, exhibit coordinators stood in solidarity saying “We (are) all helping Tamara to hold this basket” referring to the burden of creating the exhibit.
Exhibit planning documents were also rife with “sensitive content” and trigger warnings for government workers.
A draft exhibit script for the second floor of the Bellevue House exhibit warned: “The content on this page may be upsetting to some people and deals with subject matter such as Residential Schools, mistreatment and abuse.”
Internal program presenter notes instructed exhibit staff to “shut down the conversation” at signs of conflict or distress.
“You oversee the program and can redirect, debrief a situation, or even shut down the conversation at signs of distress or extreme conflict. You can call for assistance when needed,” a program document by van Dyk reads.
According to the program outline section on the “potential for controversy”, exhibit staff were repeatedly warned about “triggering situations” and “microaggressions” from visitors.
“We provide extensive training and work with staff to ensure they are prepared to manage comments. Through approved guided programs like this, we run the risk of people-sensitive content, and open up for debate rather than discussion,” the outline reads.
“Currently we have seen a decline in negative comments, however, there is always potential for disruptive visitors, micro-aggressions, and inappropriate comments or discussions that could be hurtful at any point during the visit to Bellevue House.”
Parks Canada officials were also very well aware that many Canadians had worries about heritage sites obfuscating or erasing Canadian history entirely.
Many Canadians have voiced concerns that the government’s approach to heritage sites like Bellevue House could lead to the erasure or distortion of Canadian history. An undated research document from Parks Canada noted a shift in visitor preferences since the pandemic and the discovery of residential school grave sites in 2021. Visitors expressed a desire for traditional programs like tea and whiskey tastings.
“We have heard from visitors that they don’t want us to erase history or change history, they want to see the house and they want authentic, truthful stories,” wrote Parks Canada staff.
