Dorchester Square looking towards the north, as seen last fall. The prominent statue is a monument to Montrealers who fought in the Boer War. Extremely unpopular amongst Francophones, who saw it as an imperialist war that didn’t concern them, Anglophones rallied around it as loyal British subjects.
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FOr many decades in the mid to late 1800s, the English-speaking community formed the majority population of Montreal and as Montreal was a major city in the British Empire, it is not unusual for a monument to be placed that would honour the war. The Boer War was critisized by many at the time. However, the monument was not put up to honour the memory of Montrealers who fought in the war, but as a symbol of loyalty to the empire. I do not believe that there are any names of Montrealers who actually fought in South Africa. Canada’s contingent in the war was only a few thousand. It’s fair to say that French-Canadians did not like the war, but the English-speaking community still constituted a large portion of the city’s residents. Did the English-speaking community protest against monuments raised in other parts of the city by the French-speaking community? Dorchester Square was originally named Dominion Square and it houses several monuments that honour Canada’s relationship with the British Empire. There is also a statue of Robert Burns. Just because French Canadians didn’t appreciate something, did mean then and now that we have to cater to their wishes? If so, then I guess Hispanics in California should know and recognize their place and status and bow to the wishes, demands and philosophies of the non-Hispanic community.