A demonstration is to be held at a downtown Halifax park Sunday afternoon to celebrate the removal of the statue of Halifax founder Edward Cornwallis.
Originally the event was going to be another call to remove the statue, but the municipality took down the bronze monument on Wednesday following a 12-4 vote.
"It had become an impediment to building a new relationship with the Mi'kmaq people here in Nova Scotia," Coun. Shawn Cleary told CBC News Network.
A woman walks across the platform that used to support the statue of Edward Cornwallis. @CBCNS #halifax pic.twitter.com/Izs83zMUd7
— @CBCMarina
Mounting controversy
The removal of the statue, which was installed by the Canadian National Railway in 1931, came after increasing controversy over Cornwallis's so-called scalping proclamation that offered a cash bounty to anyone who killed a Mi'kmaw person.
A municipal staff report last week recommended removing the statue in the name of public safety.
All that remains after the statue of Edward Cornwallis was removed. (Marina von Stackelberg/CBC)
The report stated there could have been attempts during Sunday's rally to tear down the statue as well as possible violent clashes between protesters.
Last year, on Canada Day, a group of protesters demonstrating in front of the statue was confronted by a smaller group called the Proud Boys. While the confrontation didn't become violent, the incident intensified the debate about the statue.
Pushback to removal
Cleary said while he and other councillors have received a lot of support for voting to remove the statue, there are others who wanted it to stay in place.
"There have been, at the other end of the extremes, a few interactions on social media by email, by phone call, folks that are not terribly pleased with the idea and some that were downright racist. One in particular came to me on Facebook that was a threat to me personally," Cleary said.
Halifax regional council is hoping to restart talks with the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq Chiefs to make recommendations on how to handle other municipal properties named after Cornwallis.
Cornwallis statue victory rally today4:33
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