On Wednesday during its finance and corporate services committee meeting, Kitchener city council approved staff’s recommendation that a study be conducted on the future of the controversial Queen Victoria statue in Victoria Park.
The statue, which was initially dedicated in 1911, has been splattered with red paint four times over the past two years.
A report from city staff says it has cost $5,000 to clean the statue every time and Kitchener has spent $60,000 over the past 10 years to preserve and remediate the artwork.
Staff will now prepare a report that will include consultation with area residents on the future of the statue.
The report is expected to take eight to 10 months to prepare at a cost of between $15,000 and $30,000.
Several residents spoke prior to the decision, with some asking that the statue be removed until a decision is made on its future but council chose to stick with the recommended plan of seeking public consultation first.
“My concern is that there has been no real opportunity for the broader community to be involved and have a say in this and I anticipate there would be some significant concern around that,” Mayor Berry Vrbanovic said.
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