Sault city council says no to hanging portrait of King Charles in council chambers

Martha Dillman · CBC News

· Posted: May 13, 2025 12:51 PM EDT | Last Updated: May 13

A representation of King Charles volition not beryllium hung successful the assembly chambers successful Sault Ste. Marie.

A question to person the representation enactment up was defeated astatine a assembly gathering connected Monday night.

"This year, there's been 2 elections. With these elections came a batch of fearfulness mongering, partisanship, threats of annexation and speech of separation," said Coun. Stephan Kinach, who enactment guardant the motion.

"With the conclusions of the national predetermination and different number governments, we indispensable clasp Canadian symbols, tradition, civilization and practice to unite the country."

Kinach said helium thought it was a "brilliant idea" for Prime Minister Mark Carney to invitation King Charles to present the code from the throne aboriginal this month.

"This is simply a classy, elbows up determination by showing sovereignty," helium said.

"Now, it's our crook of metropolis assembly to bash our portion successful our confederation by displaying a representation of King Charles."

'Significant relation successful our section history'

But not each councillors agreed with the idea. Coun. Angela Caputo said portion it's important to admit the value of Canada's narration with the monarchy, it's besides a precedence to admit that Indigenous radical person requested an apology from the British monarch for the Crown's relation successful the residential schoolhouse system.

"Until the monarchy decently apologies to Indigenous radical successful Canada, I volition not enactment the hanging of the royal portrait."

Mayor Matthew Shoemaker said since elected, he's taken steps to see Indigenous practices astatine metropolis hall, including being led successful astatine his 2022 inauguration by an Indigenous drummer alternatively of a bagpiper.

He besides said helium removed Queen Elizabeth's representation and instead, replaced it with Chief Shingwauk, an Anishnaabe chief.

"[He] represents a overmuch much important relation successful our section past past the Crown does," helium said.

"And for 2 and a fractional years, cipher noticed until I mentioned it connected Twitter. It's astonishing that we were capable to get each this governance done without the king's representation up. And yet now, it is simply a indispensable awesome for america to decently behaviour ourselves. So I don't deliberation that it has the interaction that it is conveyed to beryllium having."

The question was defeated by a ballot of 5-4.