WARMINGTON: Sir John A. Macdonald was set free and now the guy who wanted him freed is too

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First, Sir John A. Macdonald was set free on the lawn of Queen’s Park.

And now, the guy who scrawled “Free John” on the wooden box that covered up the statue of Canada’s first prime minister for five years has been too.

The Sun has learned that in court last week, the charges against Toronto’s Daniel Tate were withdrawn.

“I made a donation to Daily Bread Food Bank and the Canadian Institute for Heritage Education,” said Tate, who praised his lawyer, Calvin Barry, for stepping up to help him with this matter.

The lawyer’s overall point was what many in the media said: Tate’s actions precipitated the Ford government finally doing what needed to be done — taking the encasement down and turning Macdonald back over to the public, who can decide for themselves his history.

Macdonald’s history is complicated. There is no Canada without him, but he was a product of his day and some of the language and decisions made don’t square with today’s more progressive approach.

But no one from that era passes that test. Liberal or Conservative.

Tate did his scrawling to “Free John” in a frustrated state of social activism that many do and don’t get charged for. There is graffiti everywhere. In his case, he was grabbed by security and charged with mischief.

While it’s not advisable to take this approach and the law is the law, it’s also noteworthy that his actions worked, and Premier Doug Ford and his team moved forward and did what was right.

Remember, the same system that threw the book at Tate didn’t do the same for those who tore down the Ryerson statue or the one of Queen Victoria in Winnipeg of Sir John A. in Montreal. Tate was in more trouble for merely saying “Free John” than people who shoot up Jewish schools or drive drunk and hurt somebody.

The Sir John A. Macdonald statue is now under security watch but at least it’s open for all to see again and not taken down like what happened in his hometown of Kingston, and in Victoria, B.C., Picton and Montreal.

This is a better solution.

And Tate, who runs Integrity Toronto, is a big reason why that happened. He has also fought the name change of Yonge-Dundas Square to Sankofa Square and other moves to rewrite Canadian history.

He will have more to say about this Tuesday at Nathan Phillips Square when he joins the Downtown Concerned Citizens Organization (DCCO) news conference at 11 a.m. that will also feature Paul Macchuisi, Protect Bathurst, York-Centre MP Roman Baber, Diane Chester, Emil Glassbourg and Jenn Hilsden of the Niagara Neighbourhood, and mayoral candidate Anthony Furey.

“This press conference will highlight all the mismanagement stemming from City Hall including bike lanes, RapidTO’s exclusive bus lanes, failed encampment policies, methadone clinics, vending machines peddling drug paraphernalia, record property tax increases, rising hate crimes, dishonest renamings and 24/7 shelters being dropped on local neighbourhoods,” said a news release.

After all the speakers talk on the various issues, Tate will be available for questions on the Sir John A. Macdonald issue. If his trial schedule allows, Barry will be there as well.

Even though the charges have been dropped, Tate said he still has a ban on going on Queen’s Park property but is working with security there to have that lifted so he can go and pay respects to Canada’s first prime minister personally.

But everybody else can now go and see him out of his coverings.

And you can make an argument that they have Daniel Tate to thank for that.

jwarmington@postmedia.com