‘We must celebrate history’: Poilievre on Champlain statue

A controversial monument has been removed from its storage location in Orillia’s Couchiching Beach Park on June 10, 2026. (Courtesy: Robin Frizell)

A statue of Samuel de Champlain, once standing in Orillia, has caught the attention of federal opposition leader Pierre Poilievre.

“Samuel de Champlain was one of Canada’s greatest founders,” Poilievre said in a social media post on Friday.

“This tearing down of statues must end,” he added.

RELATED: Champlain monument removed from Couchiching Beach Park in Orillia

The statue has been at the centre of much controversy in recent weeks.

Originally removed for restoration from Couchiching Beach Park in Orillia in 2017, the statue did not return for many years.

In April, Orillia council voted against bringing the statue back.

In May, the statue was brought back to its original location to avoid the cost of having to build a new foundation to carry it, according to city council.

Upon its return, the statue was vandalised repeatedly and the move to bring it back received criticism from local residents and Indigenous community leaders.

Related: Orillia’s Samuel de Champlain statue vandalized, one charged

“Instead, we must celebrate the history of Canada,” said the leader of the Conservative Party in his post online.

“Tell our stories, sing our songs, and remember those who built this great country we call home. That is how we will build up an even stronger Canada,” he added.

In early June, Orillia city staff confirmed to CTV News that the statue had once again been removed from the park.