On Thursday, May 16th, 2024, the statue of Private Alexander Watson was removed from City Hall and reinstalled at his burial site in Victoria Lawn Cemetery in St. Catharines.

https://www.chch.com/statue-of-alexander-watson-removed-from-st-catharines-city-hall/

Private Alexander Watson fought alongside his brethren in the 90th Winnipeg Battalion Rifles during the Riel Rebellion of 1885. This statue that is erected just outside the City Hall in St. Catharines is currently threatened of being taken down due to physical deterioration, and even some political ambiguity.

At the time, Louis Riel was a Metis who was widely seen as a traitor but, over time, his actions have come to be seen as honourable. This puts the statue of Private Watson in somewhat of an awkward situation. The statue serves as a historical reminder of the battles these men went through but after all these years, it is wondered whether or not it is sending the right message.

Louis Riel's North West Rebellion was initiated because the Metis people felt they were being treated unjustly. They felt that Canada was not protecting their rights and their land. They feared for their survival as a distinct people in Canada. Louis' general message was treated seriously. How does this now make St. Catharines look when they have this statue right in front of their city hall. I believe many see the statue as simply a product of its time and don't see the necessity of having to take it down, but physical deterioration is also being taken into account.

The statue in front of City Hall is right across the street from the St. Catharine's Public Library. Other than this, there are plenty of restaurants or other places of cuisine to dine in or out.

From a local article written in 1886, it was stated that the unveiling of this statue garnered a crowd larger than the city has ever seen before. When attending this site today on your tour, you will be able to see through our AR technology just how massive this crowd was. At the time, the statue was met with great respect and honour, as you can see through this Juxtaposed slider above. Private Alexander Watson and his family were close by residents. After his honourable death at the Siege of Bastoche, the city wanted to revere him for his victories.

The statue was erected here because Watson and his family resided nearby. The statue was originally going to be placed at a family plot in the cemetery, but was given the front lawn of City Hall at the request of local citizens. General Middleton led the ceremonies at the erection of the statue which garnered one of the biggest crowds St. Catharines had ever seen. The statue has become less associated with the Louis Riel Rebellion and is now more aligned towards being a memorial for fallen St. Catharines' soldiers of all military conflicts.

This statue is owned and managed by the City of St. Catharines.

The statue is located on the corner of James Street and Church Street. There are small ramps allowing for full access to the street-side.