A concrete stump is all that's left of the statue of Justice Matthew Begbie that once stood outside the courthouse in New Westminster.
New Westminster City Council voted last May to remove the statue from Courthouse Square. The statue was taken down Saturday.
Known as the "Hanging Judge," Begbie was B.C.'s first chief justice. In 1864, he presided over the trial that resulted in the wrongful hanging of five chiefs of the Tsilhqot'in Nation. A year later, Chief Ahan was also wrongfully hanged in New Westminster.
The chiefs were lured to peace talks, only to be arrested and put on trial for their role in the Chilcotin Uprising.
The province apologized for their hangings in 2014, exonerating them of any wrongdoing. The federal government followed suit in 2018, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologizing.
A statue of Begbie was also removed from the lobby of the Law Society of British Columbia in 2017, with the society's president calling it an important step in reconciliation.
