Orillia removes man from Hall of Fame due to his promotion of residential schools
Orillia is set to remove Thomas Gummersall Anderson from its Hall of Fame after an investigation revealed his promotion of residential schools for Indigenous people and his limited impact on the city.
"We were celebrating through the Hall of Fame someone who caused great harm to a group of people," said City Councillor Janet-Lynne Durnford.
Gummersall was born in 1779 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1993.
"He considered the Indigenous population to be savages he wanted. You know he felt they needed to be rescued to be civilized," said Dunford.
A committee that investigated his past concluded that the rationale behind his selection for the city's Hall of Fame should be recorded.
Charles Penny was a committee member responsible for investigating Anderson's past.
"He really did not have a major tie to the City of Orillia, and in the criteria, you are to have an impact on the City of Orillia, you are to be recognized as national or international figure and we felt there was not a tie a strong enough tie to the City of Orillia," said Penny.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
Anderson was responsible for establishing the first native reserve in the Coldwater area. He then moved those First Nations from Coldwater so white settlers could take over the land.
The City plans to remove Anderson's portrait from the Hall of Fame wall and his biography from a book highlighting Hall inductees. City council will officially vote to have Thomas Gummersall Anderson removed from Orillia's city's Hall of Fame later this month.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Defence attacks Stormy Daniels' credibility as she returns to the stand in Trump's hush money trial
Stormy Daniels will return to the witness stand Thursday in Donald Trump's hush money trial as the defence tries to undermine the credibility of the porn actor's salacious testimony about their alleged sexual encounter and the money she was paid to keep quiet.
With contactless screening tech, this Toronto startup hopes to catch breast cancer early — and save lives
Amid evidence of rising breast cancer rates among young women in Canada, one Toronto startup is offering a contactless and radiation-free device that can help doctors identify suspicious changes in breast tissue. The company, Linda Lifetech, says this can lead to earlier detection of breast cancer.
Tornadoes tear through southeastern U.S. as storms leave 3 dead
Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could wash over parts of the South early Thursday, a day after severe weather with damaging tornadoes and large hail killed at least three people in the region.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.