About the Project
Prime Ministers Path
The Prime Ministers Path is a landmark project that uses art and educational resources to illustrate and discuss Canada's history. Understanding our history is important to understanding who we are today and to define our future.
Canada has a rich history – or "histories." Understanding our history also means understanding how it has affected Canadians and how those Canadians perceive Canada's history.
Why the Prime Ministers?
History is complex. Using art to understand history has a long "history" of its own. The sculptures of Canada's Prime Ministers provide a physical entry for those walking the trail into that history. Art also provides an emotional response – which we hope will encourage Canadians to delve deeper into our history.
The Vision
Imagine a beautifully designed pathway where each paving stone tells a story — the story of Canada's history using Prime Ministers to "bookend" a period of our history. This bookending approach allows those to walk the PM Path to obtain an overview and an opportunity to delve deeper. The educational resources provide an opportunity to go even deeper and to understand more fully Canada's history and how it has affected Canadians.
Canada's story is worth telling. Canada's story also provides us with insight into who we are, how we got to where we are – and how we can move forward as a country. The use of political leaders provides that initial entry.
The Prime Ministers Path will be a place of artistic expression, education and reflection. A Path where Canadians and visitors from around the world can walk in the footsteps of history.
The Prime Ministers Path is the entry. The art allows for the emotional response and an opportunity for reflection about Canada and Canadians. The educational resources – both developed by Createscape and those created by others (see links) – allow for that deeper understanding of Canada and Canadians.
As Canada develops, so will our understanding of our history. Artists were invited to explore the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of each Prime Ministers time in office through the use of Easter Eggs... hidden symbology for each of us to interpret. The educational materials will reflect how we see ourselves now and into the future. History is not static – it evolves and our understanding of ourselves evolves.
With permission to draw from the authoritative biographies of Dictionary of Canadian Biography, each Prime Minister's story will be told with accuracy, depth, and respect.
About Createscape
Createscape Waterloo Region is a registered charity. Createscape supports art in Waterloo Region. With the PM Path, Createscape is supporting meaningful art – sculptures and landscape art – that help Canadians to understand who they are and how they got here. Art is the entry into the soul – the PM Path is the entry into Canada's soul.
In collaboration with others, Createscape helps Canadians to delve deeper into our soul. The educational resources help us to understand our souls – Canada's history – better. And it allows us to reflect, engage and define our futures.
Createscape is volunteer run. 100% of every donation and grant will be used to support:
- the development of the PM Path,
- the installation of the existing statues,
- the commissioning of additional statues and their installation,
- the development of educational resources – for academic purposes and for the general public, and
- research into the history of Canada and Canadians through the role of political leadership – at the federal, provincial and territorial, municipal, First Nations, and community levels.
How Your Sponsorship Helps?
Every paver sponsored brings us one step closer to completing the Prime Ministers Path and the educational resources. Your contribution is more than a donation — it is a permanent part of Canadian history.
- PathBuilder Sponsor: Numbered Paver — $159, the equivalent of $1 for every year since Confederation
- CornerStone Sponsor: Personalized Paver — $1,590, with your name engraved for generations to see
- FoundationStone Sponsor: Large Foundation Paver — $15,900, featuring your personal dedication or an iconic line from O Canada
- Landmark Sponsorship: Patron of Path — $159,000, the ultimate act of patriotism to support a better understanding of the history of Canada and our collective journey
All proceeds support registered charity Createscape Waterloo Region in developing the Prime Ministers Path project and educational resources.
Join the Roll Call
Every small paver is uniquely numbered and its sponsor recorded in the official Prime Ministers Path Roll Call — a living record of Canadians who helped build this landmark. Will your Family's name be among them?