The province says no charges will be laid for the toppling of two statues outside the Manitoba Legislative Building last summer.
The statues of two British monarchs — Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II — were pulled down on Canada Day during demonstrations surrounding the Indigenous children who lost their lives at residential schools.
The two statues were tied with ropes and hauled to the ground during the protest, and despite controversial comments by then-premier Brian Pallister urging them to be restored — as well as support for their restoration from federal Conservatives — the statues have not be reinstalled.
The larger of the two, originally located prominently near the front of the legislative grounds, was the Queen Victoria statue, originally completed in 1904. Its head was removed at some point during the demonstration and later found by a kayaker in the Assiniboine River behind the legislature.
While no charges will be laid for the statue incidents, several people have been charged for offences related to public safety in connection to the protest, which attracted large groups of Winnipeggers to the city’s downtown.
— with files from Amy-Ellen Prentice