A café owner in Charlottetown has decided not to use coffee sleeves featuring the image of Sir John A. Macdonald, citing concerns over the historical implications of his legacy. Laura Noel, who runs a downtown café, was approached by the Confederation Centre of the Arts to participate in a fundraising campaign. She was surprised to find that the branded coffee sleeves included Macdonald’s face, which she described as "problematic."

Noel received 1,250 sleeves but felt uncomfortable using them. This discomfort stems from the City of Charlottetown's previous decision to remove a statue of Macdonald due to public concerns and vandalism. She expressed that the campaign could unfairly place the burden of historical controversy on small businesses like hers. "Putting the sleeves on cups could lead to uncomfortable customer interactions that business owners aren’t prepared for," she said.

On July 25, Noel reached out to the Confederation Centre for clarification but received no response. After following up on August 6, she received a reply from CEO Steve Bellamy, which she felt did not adequately address her concerns. Noel also questioned the choice of orange for the sleeves, a color associated with Indigenous reconciliation in Canada, especially since the campaign would run into September, which is National Reconciliation Month. Macdonald is linked to the establishment of the residential school system in Canada, a system that has been recognized as a cultural genocide.

"To me, there’s too many combinations of problematic things on one sleeve," Noel stated. She elaborated, saying, "Separately, they’re OK. We can talk about John A, we can talk about orange, but together, it’s just too problematic."

In email exchanges, Bellamy noted that orange has been part of the centre’s branding since 1964. However, Noel felt this response did not consider the current significance of the color, especially when combined with Macdonald’s image. "What I hear is orange is ours first, it was our color first … we picked orange first, is what I’m hearing," she said.

Noel expressed feeling misled by the lack of information when she agreed to participate in the campaign. She emphasized the need for sensitivity regarding Macdonald’s image, particularly when soliciting public donations. She reflected on the potential discomfort of serving a customer who might be a residential school survivor, saying, "I would feel ashamed" to use the coffee sleeve.

The coffee sleeves were part of a national initiative called "Where Canada Connects," aimed at fostering dialogue about Canada’s history and future. In a written response, the Confederation Centre stated that its role as a memorial to the founders of Confederation includes addressing difficult historical topics. "This centre is a memorial to him and others, as well as a theatre and arts programming space," the email explained. "There will always be some people who want the centre to erase and to never mention, but we do not have that option."

The centre emphasized that the campaign is designed to challenge Canadians to discuss important issues. It also mentioned ongoing collaboration with First Nations and Indigenous communities, taking all feedback seriously. Despite her support for the centre and its contributions to the arts community, Noel remains hesitant to partner with them again, feeling that this campaign was poorly communicated and lacked the necessary sensitivity.