Ten Commandments monument formerly located in Assiniboine Park returning to donors

The 10 Commandments that sat in Assiniboine Park until 2017. Uploaded July 31, 2024. (City of Winnipeg)

A monument displaying the Ten Commandments formerly on display in a Winnipeg park will be returned to its original owners.

A report in the city's executive policy committee agenda said the Fraternal Order of Eagles, which originally placed the monument in Assiniboine Park in the 1960s, will have it returned to them by the city.

The monument was placed in Assiniboine Park in 1965 as part of an ongoing effort by the organization to place a statue in parks across the United States and Canada following the release of the Ten Commandments film in 1956. It was removed in 2017 by the Assiniboine Park Conservancy to allow for the construction of The Leaf and has been in storage since.

The conservancy looked to find a new location for the monument, but later submitted a request to the city to permanently remove it and find a private honour. The report said that while the city was considering the request, the Fraternal Order of Eagles asked the conservancy to return the monument, which the conservancy agreed to.

City council needs to formally approve the donation, as the monument is city property. The cost of relocating the monument was not in the report, but costs will be shared between the city and the Eagles.

The committee will discuss the move during the meeting on Sept. 17, 2024.