Ted Chudleigh11530-17th SR

Georgetown, ONL7G 4S6

October 6, 2014

Hon. Dave Levac, MPPSpeaker of the Legislative Assembly of OntarioChair of the Board of Internal EconomyRoom 180, Main Legislative Building, Queen's ParkToronto, Ontario M7A 1A2

A Statue of The Queen at Queen’s Park

Dear Mr. Speaker:

As you may be aware, The Queen will become the longest-reigning female monarch in world history on September 10, 2015, when she will surpass Queen Victoria’s all-time record on the throne, at sixty-three years, two hundred and sixteen days, which has stood since January 1901.

I am writing you because, while there is a magnificent statue of Queen Victoria on the legislative grounds – the Queen of the Park’s name – that was unveiled in 1902, there will continue to be none of Elizabeth II, despite the fact that she will have been Sovereign of Canada for almost half of the country’s entire history since Confederation, a remarkable feat of longevity and dedicated service to Ontario and Canada.

As you are also no doubt aware, in addition to Her Majesty surpassing this extraordinary milepost, Ontario will celebrate its 150th anniversary as a founding province on July 1, 2017, the “sesquicentennial” of Confederation in 1867. Both of these important markers will be reached during this, the 41st parliament of Ontario.

In order for the first of these two momentous milestones not to pass unnoticed, it would be a fitting tribute to the legacy and longevity of the Queen if, with your approval, and the approval of the Board of Internal Economy, such a statue project could be announced on September 10, 2015. That would then leave almost two years to complete the statue itself, for an official unveiling to happen on July 1, 2017.

Of course, a large statue project like this is a major undertaking, and it will rely on having a good competitive process for the design as well as a strong fundraising campaign and broad political support. Furthermore, statues of the Queen must be approved in principle and at every stage of the design process by The Queen herself. The absence of any one of these required elements would negate its success.

Fortunately, there is a relatively recent, useful and successful precedent that we can rely on. A Queen’s Golden Jubilee Statue commissioned to commemorate the centennial of Saskatchewan – a magnificent bronze equestrian of Elizabeth II on her favorite horse, Burmese – was unveiled with considerable fanfare by Her Majesty in Regina in 2005. Dr. Michael Jackson, CVO, who was chief of protocol for the Province of Saskatchewan for many years and chaired that initiative, has been a source of guidance for us in drafting this proposal for your review.

In terms of the overall cost, the final tally of the equestrian statue in Saskatchewan came to $325,000, and the provincial government contributed $175,000 of it, about fifty percent of the total bill. We would similarly offer a public campaign to cover part of the costs.

If this proposal meets with your approval in principle, we would immediately establish an organizing committee with myself as Chair and with representation from a broad coalition of organizations.

To be really effective on the design and creation of such a work of art, we will need to have expressions of interest from artists and then some funding for a short list to develop a strong proposal. Ideally we would want the name of the sculptor commissioned to undertake the work known by the time the Crown is in a position to formally announce such a project to the general public next year.

Yours sincerely,

Ted ChudleighChair, Ontario Task GroupCanadian Royal Heritage Trust