A planned protest at the site of the now removed statue of Edward Cornwallis turned into a celebration Sunday afternoon.

The focal point for the event was the now-barren concrete platform where the statue of the controversial founder of Halifax stood for 87 years.

The event was originally planned as another call to remove the statue, but fearing possible problems the municipality took down the bronze monument on Wednesday after a hasty vote at city council.

"I'm glad that he's gone and not here anymore and every time I drive by this place I get so happy because it's like something that so many of my loved ones fought so hard for actually happened,” said activist Masuma Khan.

While the event itself was peaceful with nearly 30 people attending, the removal of the effigy remained controversial.

“The statue was removed because people were threatening violence,” said one man attending the rally.

A woman approached the man while he was in mid-sentence and pointed to where the statue once stood.

“This man was put right here in 1930 to remind us and our parents that they have control of us, but you don’t have control no more, we’re going to stand for our rights,” she said.

While the statue is now gone, the debate is far from settled. In the next few weeks Halifax Council plans on debating the use of Cornwallis' name on municipal places, including the park where the statue used to stand.

"I’d like to see it renamed and called peace and friendship park, and we could have plaques in the park here showing some of the treaties signed between the Mi’kmaq and the English and make it a place where people can come and learn the real history of the province," said Mi’kmaq elder Daniel Paul.

Leo Deveau of Halifax’s Military Heritage Preservation Society said there are multiple ideas floating around.

“We've suggested some ideas, like founding park, where the statue was, that could include a number of narratives, Cornwallis' presence there, the Mi’kmaq presence, the Acadians, that would reflect the historical records,” Deveau said.

Deveau and others have expressed concerns that the removal of the statue is an attempt to erase Halifax’s founder from the city’s history.

The statue itself will remain in storage for at least six months while an advisory committee makes recommendations on what the future holds for the controversial figure of the past.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Allan April.