John A Macdonald was Canada’s first prime minister without whom Canada would not have been created and united as we know it.

To Canadian governments: John A Macdonald,*

• fought for more funding for Indigenous Canadians on the Prairies over objections from the opposition in Parliament
• secured smallpox vaccination for Indigenous Canadians which prevented Indigenous deaths
• was a key figure in writing the British North America Act, the basis for Canada’s constitution
• ensured the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed and “knit” Canada together amidst the threat of American expansion into Canada
• moved Canada towards more autonomy, including representing Canada on the British commission that negotiated the 1871 Treaty of Washington

Macdonald was a man of his age—as all people are of theirs—and thus reflect the biases, errors and virtues of their age. Macdonald deserves commemoration for his accomplishments and as one important architect of Confederation.