The Sir Winston Churchill Society of Calgary, in partnership with Alberta’s government, will unveil a statue of former British prime minister Sir Winston Churchill in downtown Calgary..Churchill was Britain’s prime minister from 1940-45 and again from 1951-55. His views on race, according to mainstream media, were "controversial and complex," and some of his statements would "certainly be deemed racist in 2022.".However, he remains a widely respected national hero who led the country to victory during the Second World War..In 2020, protesters sprayed “was a racist” on the plinth of the Sir Winston Churchill statue in London and other statues throughout the world have been vandalized..“Like all public monuments, this statue will be protected by laws that lay charges for those who commit acts of vandalism," said the premier's press secretary, Justin Brattinga..“Winston Churchill was the greatest defender of democracy in the 20th century, and in my view the century’s single greatest leader," said Alberta's premier Jason Kenney.."There is no single person more responsible for the defeat of fascism and the evils of the Nazi regime in the Second World War than Sir Winston Churchill."."He was a gigantic figure, though not perfect. Like every leader, he made mistakes in a life that spanned decades of public service during times of crisis and consequence."."Yet he stands almost universally recognized as one of the greatest champions of parliamentary democracy in history.".“He loved Canada, and Canadians love him. Indeed, Calgary is one of the only cities in Canada not to have a Sir Winston Churchill statue, unlike Edmonton, whose citizens proudly named the symbol centre of the city Sir Winston Churchill Square," Kenney said..According to Kenney, Churchill had a special affection for Alberta.."On his 1929 visit to our province, he visited with admiration both the oil wells of Turner Valley and the magnificent mountainscapes of Banff, several of which he depicted in watercolour paintings. He was so attracted to Alberta that he very nearly bought a ranch here.".“I want to thank all of the donors and members of the Calgary Sir Winston Churchill Society for raising the funds for this impressive statue. Churchill would have seen the McDougall School when he visited Calgary in 1929," Kenney said.."It is a fitting tribute to one of the greatest champions of parliamentary democracy that he will be memorialized at the seat of Alberta’s government in Calgary, a great city of enterprise.” .The statue of Churchill was funded by the society and was sculpted by Danek Mozdzenski, of Edmonton, whose past work includes statues of Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, jazz artist Clarence Horatio Miller, the late Alberta Lt.-Gov. Lois Hole and Alberta suffragist Nellie McClung. .The statue will face southwest towards the Rockies to symbolize Churchill's admiration for the region..The Sir Winston Churchill Society of Calgary will fund the creation and installation of the statue and will cover the costs for maintenance. The unveiling is planned for spring 2023.
