Coun. Ben Isitt’s objections to Christian symbolism in the city’s December decorations are divisive, creating prejudice and animosity instead of celebrating the cultural diversity in our community, former Victoria councillor Pamela Madoff said Monday.
Last week, Isitt said Victoria should not decorate public property with boughs of holly or turn the giant sequoia in Centennial Square into a Christmas tree. He suggested — and won council support — to have city staff report back on options to increase the cultural diversity in the decorations.
“His remarks are very divisive. It’s suggesting to one group that you should remove the symbols that may be very meaningful to you,” said Madoff. “Would you say ‘Only burn seven candles of the menorah, rather than eight?’ Would you say ‘The Hindu festival of lights shouldn’t be bright?’ I think we should be doing more in any way we can.”
It would have been better not to talk about taking away Christmas symbols and instead ask if there is more we can do to support other faith groups in the community for the holidays and sacred days they hold dear, said Madoff.
She compared Isitt’s remarks to the removal of the statue of Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first prime minister, from the front steps of Victoria City Hall. “If you don’t bring people together, then the outcome is going to be division. And that’s what happened with the statue. People didn’t get a chance to understand and learn and try to move forward as a community. And this is the same thing. And because Coun. Isitt was so specific — ‘I don’t want to see stars. I want to see snowflakes’ — it just doesn’t seem so well thought out.”
By noon Monday, the Times Colonist had received 80 letters to the editor, none in favour of the review of Christmas decorations. CFAX radio’s noon talk-show lines lit up as well. And Twitter blew up with feeds depicting Isitt as the Grinch and Scrooge.
On Monday, Isitt said he was “not really” aware of the backlash. “I’ve just been away with family for the weekend and I’m still away,” Isitt said in an interview from the Lower Mainland. “I’ve had about a dozen emails, some in favour of diversifying the decorations and others opposed.”
Although Isitt’s Twitter account was shut down, he said it had nothing to do with a backlash. “I take a break periodically from my Twitter account and I’ll be restoring it once I’m back to work tomorrow. I just get off social media to take a break and to have some down time.”
Tax dollars should not go toward spiritual symbolism or toward religious or spiritual practice, said Isitt. “No tax dollars go to lighting the menorah. And no tax dollars go into Muslim or Buddhist or other forms of spiritual practice.”
Madoff disagreed. In 2017, Victoria council hosted a dinner with members of a mosque to celebrate breaking the fast of Ramadan, she said. The lighting of a giant menorah and Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, take place in Centennial Square. The mayor and council meet in the mayor’s office for a ceremonial lighting of a second menorah.
“Tax dollars support the programming in Centennial Square,” she said.
If there’s a backlash, it’s positive, said Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps. “Diversity means tolerance and means we welcome everyone. It’s a positive reminder of what Victoria values,” she said.
“It’s unfortunate this motion came forward in the way that it did and was interpreted in the way it was interpreted. I think our seasonal decorations are fantastic and light downtown in the dark of winter. … We have way more important things to worry about at the table than what our lights look like downtown. I’m happy there are lights.”
