Prime Ministers Path set to make a comeback after years of controversy

Nearly five years after statues of former Prime Ministers were taken down in Baden, the Township of Wilmot has agreed to cover the cost of putting them back up again.

At a council meeting on Monday night, councillors voted to formally hand over the Prime Ministers Path project to Createscape Waterloo Region, the arm’s-length organization that will now be responsible for the project going forward.

The agreement is for a 20-year term that could be extended in the future.

The township will still retain ownership of the statues.

The plan is to reinstall the statues in the park next to the township offices on Snyder’s Road West in Baden. Originally, the statues were installed at Castle Kilbride in Baden.

The expense of pouring new foundations to reinstall the statues will be covered by the township, with councillors approving the one-time cost of as much as $78,000.

Createscape will be responsible for fundraising and eventually adding new statues of other Prime Ministers in the future. It is also expected to add educational content to help provide context on the history, role and impact of the prime ministers.

Previously, councillors also agreed that the statue of Sir John A. MacDonald, which was the focus of numerous demonstrations in the past, be reinstalled at a less prominent location, so people would have the choice to view it if they wished to.

It originally stood at the entrance to the property.

History of the project

The Prime Ministers Path project has been mired in controversy since its inception.

• TIMELINE: Rocky road to creating the Prime Ministers Path

One of the prospective locations for the project was at Kitchener’s Victoria Park, but in 2013 city council rejected the plan after strong opposition from the community.

The statue of Sir John A. MacDonald was the first to be installed in 2016 in Baden, with more added in the following years.

In 2021, Wilmot’s council decided to remove the statues featuring former Canadian political figures due to the backlash. Critics said the project failed to reflect the full history of Canada’s leaders, particularly when it came to Indigenous communities and the residential school system. The statue of Sir John. A. MacDonald was repeatedly vandalized when it was displayed in public.

According to the township, $162,177.37 was spent on the Prime Ministers Path between the start of 2020 and end of 2024. The federal government provided a grant of $45,000, while the remaining $117,177.37 was paid through taxes.

In July 2025, Wilmot Township announced its plan to return all the statues to Castle Kilbride following what the township called a “comprehensive and community-led engagement process.”

Council previously said their decision to restore the statues meant no further tax dollars would be spent on the project, excluding standard park maintenance and storage fees. Instead, they planned to seek out private donations, partnerships or grants.