Bellevue House National Historic Site in Kingston has a new management plan/Parks Canada

Bellevue House National Historic Site has a new management plan that promises an evolving understanding of the controversial legacy of Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada' first prime minister and the politician who helped to create residential schools that forcibly separated Indigenous children from their families and sent them to boarding schools where they were often abused and humiliated.

This Kingston, Ontario site tells the many sides of one of Canada’s founding fathers and the way that Confederation, Canadian institutions that he created and policies enacted by his government continue to touch and influence the everyday lives of Canadians.

“Sir John A. Macdonald is an integral part of Canada’s history and Bellevue House is a historic symbol of that story,” the Bellevue House Community Advisory Committee said in a news release. “However, we need a more complete picture of the man’s legacy — a picture that includes everyone.”

Bellevue House promises to tell broader, more inclusive stories through an engaging approach to sharing Canada’s history — including the difficult periods of Canada’s past — through diverse, wide-ranging and sometimes complex perspectives.

Key strategies in the new plan include:

• Committing to leading an open and ongoing dialogue and presenting a range of perspectives surrounding the development of Canada and Macdonald’s role in it.

• Increasing the site’s involvement in community events and local initiatives to open up opportunities for new partnerships and stronger collaboration.

• Continuing to modernize experiences to be more inclusive of all target audiences, and developing new programming, including immersive activities.

Parks Canada consulted with the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte and Mohawks of Akwesasne and engaged Kingston region’s urban Indigenous community to develop this plan. It formed a community advisory committee and sought input from other partners and stakeholders, local residents as well as visitors past and present.

Bellevue House was built in the 1840s and was home to Macdonald at the beginning of his political career. It’s open from Victoria Day weekend in May, through Thanksgiving weekend in October. The historic house is closed until May 2024 for interior renewal of exhibits, but the visitor center and grounds remain open. The site welcomes about 20,000 visitors each year.