Conclusion

The city of Kingston not comprised solely of descendants of British settlers. The land on which the city is built was, and remains home to the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe and Huron-Wendat peoples, as well as communities of people of colour. Although Kingston’s colonial narrative dominates mainstream historical narratives, continuous work by academics, activists and locals is being performed to dismantle colonial misconceptions. The work of Laura Murray of Queen’s University demonstrates how the community has challenge Sir John A Macdonald’s ongoing persistent presence in the region, and the impacts it has had on the local community.[1] Community projects such as STONES Kingston is an example of a community project that privileges the narratives of marginalized communities in Kingston, including those of BIPOC, 2SLGBTQ+, and more.[2] Local museums and heritage sites are also beginning to make an effort to recognize Indigenous presence and contributions to the city through public programming and virtual exhibitions.[3]

Community-driven projects are not the only groups advocating for change. The municipal government is making an active effort to broaden the City’s historical perspectives to encompass more diverse communities. Two highlighted projects include Engage for Change: YGK Reconciliation Journey and Your Stories, Our Histories, both of which attempt to reinterpret the history of Sir John A Macdonald and the colonial legacy which permeates all corners of Kingston.[4] Municipally led endeavours such as these are a foundational step in changing the historical narrative of Kingston. As Derek Alderman writes, “memorials are designed and planned… by those who have the time, resources, and public mandate to define the past.”[5] As we have seen, Kingston’s physical landscape is one of the primary factors that settler colonial memory has been maintained throughout the city. Challenging, removing, and reconfiguring these landscapes to be increasingly representative and inclusive are heavily reliant on those with the means to see these changes through – specifically, the city’s municipal government. Recognizing where, how and why settler colonial narratives are maintained throughout Kingston’s public spaces is the first step towards unlearning colonial narratives, and rewriting histories that reflect the perspectives and experiences of all the local community.

Works Cited

[1] Laura Murray and Paul Carl, “Beyond Sir John: Unsettling Public Memory in Kingston, Ontario,” Journal of Critical Race Inquiry, 3, no 1 (2016).

[2] Stones Kingston. Accessed April 27, 2022. https://www.stoneskingston.ca/

[3] For example, Murney Tower Museum has a virtual exhibit “The People Before the Tower,” as well as the City’s first permanent exhibition related to Indigenous peoples. https://www.murneytower.com/online-exhibits

[4] “Sir John A Macdonald .” City of Kingston. Accessed April 28, 2022. https://www.cityofkingston.ca/explore/culture-history/history/sir-john-a

[5] Derek Alderman, Civil Rights Memorials and the Geography of Memory. (Chicago: Center for American Places at the Columbia College Chicago, 2008), 12.

References

Scholarly Contributions

Alderman, Derek. Civil Rights Memorials and the Geography of Memory. Chicago: Center for American Places at the Columbia College Chicago, 2008.

Alderman's work considers the physicality of monuments and memorials and the way it shapes cultural memory. The text was useful in my own analyses because it provided a sense of how different spaces are used to commemorate histories, using geography, monumentality and place.

Crownshaw, Richard, Kilby, Jane, and Rowland, Antony, eds. “Introduction” The Future of Memory. New York, NY: Berghahn Books, Incorporated, 2010. pp. 3-15.

Richard Crownshaw's introductory chapter was useful in understanding the ways in which commemorative practices and discourses surrounding commemoration have evolved. Paying special attention to memory and the evolution of memory studies, Crownshaw's chapter demonstrated that commemoration, place, and memory are interconnected.

Savage, Kirk. “Introduction.” Standing Soldiers, Kneeling Slaves: Race, War and Monument in Nineteenth Century America. 2nd edition. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2018.

Although only the introductory chapter of Savage's text was used in this analysis, the whole work has been included in 'Further Reading.' Savage expertly considers the interrelated nature of place and memory, and how these ideas are further entrenched using monuments. In the context of colonial histories and colonial monuments, Savage's work demonstrate the inherent colonial nature of preserving history through monuments, plaques and other 'common' commemorative practices.

Web Resources

Stones Kingston. Accessed April 27, 2022. https://www.stoneskingston.ca/

Stones Kingston is representative of the work of a multitude of researchers. Using sources from the Queen's University Archive, the project highlights the diverse histories of Kingston that are quite often overpowered by mainstream colonial narratives. Stones Kingston has been included as a resource because it juxtaposes settler colonial memory that is addresses within this essay, and exemplifies the benefits of acknowledging diverse historical perspectives.

City of Kingston. Commemoration Policy. Accessed 25 April 2022. https://www.cityofkingston.ca/documents/10180/20847/Commemoration+Policy.pdf/358519de-5ef8-4492-9d40-e59f04d81557?t=1542815683000

Although short, this Commemoration Policy has been included as a resources because it shows that the process of designating heritage sites is inherently bureaucratic. Reading this document was important in understanding local processes for designation and commemoration in Kingston.

Humphreys , Olivia. “Why Do We Commemorate Wars but Not Pandemics? | CBC Radio.” CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, November 12, 2021. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/why-do-we-commemorate-wars-but-not-pandemics-1.6246133

This interesting article highlights the one-sided nature of commemoration, not just in Kingston, but throughout Canada as well. It provides another perspective to the idea of "what history is being told?" and "what history is not being told?" and that historical narratives are still told from limited perspectives.

“Canada's Historic Places. 223 King St. East, Kingston, Ontario.” Historicplaces.ca - historicplaces.ca. Accessed April 27, 2022. https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=8265

Further reading on the Cartwright House. This site also contains information of other heritage houses and designations in Kingston. This site was useful in interpreting which features of the house made it worth commemorating, under the Ontario Heritage Act.