WLU’s proposal to house Canadian PM statues generates controversy

Wilfrid Laurier University has agreed to house 22 life-sized statues of all past Canadian prime ministers on its Waterloo campus. The project is led by a private donor group that initially lobbied for the statues to be located in downtown Kitchener’s Victoria Park with city support in November 2013. But the plan was rejected by city councillors due to concerns about its aesthetic appeal and ability to represent the city’s multicultural community. The donor group has since reached an agreement with WLU, which will pay the cost of installing and maintaining the statues on its campus. WLU President Max Blouw said, “there is no better place to locate these statues than a university campus, which is dedicated to learning, scholarship, and the invigorating exchange of ideas and perspectives.” CBC | Waterloo Region Record