Kingston city council votes to remove statue of Sir John A. Macdonald from local park

A statue of Sir John A. Macdonald will be removed from a Kingston park.

At a special meeting Wednesday night, Kingston city council voted 8-5 in favour of relocating the statue from the park to his gravesite just outside of the municipality.

The council's decision follows a recommendation from the city's History & Legacy of Sir John A Macdonald Working Group.

Canada's first prime minister played an instrumental role in this country's residential school system.

Indigenous activists have been gathered around the statue since last Thursday, calling for its removal because of the harm MacDonald inflicted on their communities.

In early June, a petition was started in Ottawa to remove Macdonald's name from the local National Capital Commission parkway and all city sites.

Ottawa city councillors have also sent a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking for the federal government to support the removal.