A controversial statue at city hall and parking fees are on the docket for tonight's St. Catharines' city council meeting.
Councillor Karrie Porter will bring forward a motion to remove the statue of Private Alexander Watson during tonight's meeting.
Her motion notes the statue has 'urgent deterioration issues' but keys on the city's commitments to Truth and Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples as a reason to remove the statue.
More than 750 people have signed an online petition to remove the statue from City Hall.
Organizer Gavin Fearon says removal is long overdue as it serves an image of Canada's ongoing genocide of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples.
Watson lived in St. Catharines before moving out west and fighting for the Canadian government during the North-West Rebellion in 1885.
Meanwhile Councillor Kevin Townsend will be asking for a reconsideration of a previous motion that halted parking fees until July 1st.
His motion states the city should play a critical role in supporting local businesses that have been impacted by the ongoing pandemic.
If the motion to reconsider passes, he wants to see the fee forgiveness extended until the end of September.