Brian Mulroney (1939-2024) | Place for readers

Like any politician, Brian Mulroney has made good and bad moves. These are quite well known. I remember him when I was starting my law degree at Laval University and he was finishing it. He rarely frequented the law faculty library, preferring by far, with his Irish colleagues, the Chien d’Or tavern near the Château Frontenac. I especially remember this endearing man for what he did to put an end to apartheid in South Africa. If only for this, he deserved well from his country.

On December 8, 1989 (the day after the Polytechnique massacre), my assistant told me that Mr. Mulroney would like to speak to me. I take the phone and he says that he and his wife would like to meet privately with student leaders, on the condition that this meeting is not known to journalists and the public. My wife and I welcomed them into my office at Poly on Saturday, December 9, around 7 p.m., where they spoke with a handful of student leaders for about an hour. This exceptional act marked the healing process of our community. The following week, he attended the state funeral, as Prime Minister of Canada, at the Notre-Dame Basilica.

I campaigned for Brian Mulroney during his 1983 leadership campaign, the 1984 general election and the preparation for the 1988 elections in Saint-Henri–Westmount. To my surprise, I was asked to be part of his team during the approaching 1988 general elections. I remained by his side until his retirement in 1993, as a scout and aide-de-camp. Kind, patient, full of humor, everyone who knew him will say that about him. If I happened to upset the schedule or the itinerary, he had full confidence in me. He even considered making me a candidate in a safe county. No thanks, I had no desire to go to Ottawa!

My father, Gilbert Dupuis, had the chance to work with him for several years on Parliament Hill as a cameraman for TVA and a member of cabinet staff as a “scout” for journalists who traveled with the Prime Minister.

In September 1984, I was present at the Baie-Comeau recreational center when he was elected. It was the most beautiful political moment of my life, the atmosphere was incredible. We could feel the pride of the people of Baie-Comeau that one of their little guys became the country’s Prime Minister! The Liberal Party had approached my father, who was a well-known entrepreneur in the region, to represent it. He replied: “First of all, I’m not interested in politics. And second, I’m going to vote for Brian Mulroney!

It was at the Montclair Inn, in Sainte-Adèle, after a day of skiing several years ago. I will always remember his big smile, his sparkling eyes and the joy I felt sharing with him about my Irish origins through my maternal grandmother. Beautiful memories of an extraordinary man.

I lived in Baie-Comeau and I was there with my mother when he was elected in 1984. I was 19 years old! I will remember this day all my life, he and his family were so proud of this historic victory, especially with so many seats won at the same time! The crowd was delirious, an atmosphere I have never felt since, even at a celebrity concert. I also worked with one of his best friends, who was the president of the Progressive Conservative Party in the region. Brian never forgot to call her on her birthday.

I was employed in the transportation department for the Société des alcools in Quebec. In September 1984, my boss in Montreal called me around 11 a.m. to tell me to ship a case of cognac to Baie-Comeau as quickly as possible. Since this was well before the advent of the fast delivery services we know today, I grumbled a bit about the high delivery costs, only to be told that it was for Mr. Mulroney and his team and that the crate had to be delivered before 5 p.m.

Born in Baie-Comeau and aged 17 at the time, I will never forget Mr. Mulroney’s victory in September 1984. I was at the Henry-Leonard center in Baie-Comeau, where he appeared on the stage with his beautiful wife, Mila, to thunderous applause. The crowd was happy and proud! There was excitement and enormous pride felt by the population. A little guy from Baie-Comeau had just been elected leader of the Conservative Party and, thereby, Prime Minister of Canada!

I remember Mr. Mulroney, who was my MP at the time in Charlevoix. Thanks to him, the corporation that managed the Le Massif ski resort obtained a subsidy of 6 million, despite numerous oppositions. This boost greatly shaped the prosperous Charlevoix we have today.

On February 21, 1986, I was a student in Paris and I lived in the Canadian Student House at the Cité universitaire. Brian Mulroney, visiting for a Francophonie Summit, came to inaugurate the house after a major renovation. He appeared there in the company of Maurice Druon, permanent secretary of the French Academy. Both gave long speeches, for the young twenty-somethings that we were.

Brian Mulroney was passing through Petite-Rivière-Saint-François on June 24. At the time, I was a journalist at Radio-Canada. No press briefing was planned, but before he left, an unexpected scrum arose, where all the reporters and cameramen were competing for space. I had to bend down to allow the cameraman to turn and I stretched my arm so my microphone could pick up the sound. All the journalists wanted to ask a question when, suddenly, he saw me in this awkward position and pointed at me so I could ask mine. A rare gesture on the part of a Prime Minister who demonstrates exceptional sensitivity.