Politicians, dignitaries and public figures are converging on Saturday from across Canada to pay their last respects to former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney at the Notre-Dame Basilica in Old Montreal.
A state funeral is to be held at 11 a.m., with the Archbishop of Montreal, Ms.gr Christian Lépine, following a funeral procession which will include a mounted escort and RCMP pallbearers, a Canadian Armed Forces honor guard and the Royal Canadian Air Force Band.
After the ceremony, there will be a 19-gun salute in the Old Port of Montreal. Eulogies should notably be delivered by the deceased’s daughter, Caroline Mulroney, as well as by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the president and CEO of Quebecor, Pierre Karl Péladeau.
Former Quebec Prime Minister Jean Charest, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and former US Secretary of State James Baker will also speak. Several other distinguished guests are on site, including Governor General Mary Simon and her predecessors David Jonhston and Michaëlle Jean.
Many former provincial and federal prime ministers are also there, such as Stephen Harper, Jean Chrétien, Lucien Bouchard, Pierre Marc Johnson, Philippe Couillard and Pauline Marois, to name a few. The federal party leaders, Pierre Poilievre, Jagmeet Singh and Yves-François Blanchet, are also on site.
Most of the provincial premiers – François Legault, Doug Ford, Scott Moe and Danielle Smith – are on site, as are several ministers from the government of Quebec and Canada elsewhere.
Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds is among the list of guests, with media personalities such as Jean-François Lépine, Paul Arcand and Chantal Hébert. We also find former Montreal Canadiens players, Vincent Damphousse and Serge Savard.
Mr. Mulroney’s sons said they hope the funeral will not only be a sad occasion, but also an opportunity to celebrate their father’s life with a “party” including music, laughter and funny stories .
Street closures
Note that several street closures are expected in the vicinity of the basilica. Traffic will be prohibited in the quadrilateral between Saint-Antoine West, Saint-Paul West and Saint-Pierre streets as well as Saint-Laurent Boulevard from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
A portion of René-Lévesque Boulevard, between Beaver Hall Hill and Jeanne-Mance Street, as well as part of De Bleury Street, between René-Lévesque Boulevard West and Saint-Antoine Street West, will be closed from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for the passage of the funeral procession.
Earlier this week, Thursday and Friday, many Montrealers had already come to pay homage to Brian Mulroney at the Saint-Patrick basilica, where the coffin of the “little guy from Baie-Comeau” was on display in the chapel. fiery.
“When he spoke to you, Brian Mulroney, it was not superficial, it was deep. He was an exceptional man who never took himself for someone else,” said Richard Daudelin, a retired member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) who worked closely with Mr. Mulroney during his career, since he was part of the Section for the Protection of Distinguished Persons.
Brian Mulroney died on February 29 at the age of 84. He served as prime minister for nine years between 1984 and 1993 and led the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. Mr. Mulroney left behind an important legacy that includes the North American Free Trade Agreement, the fight against apartheid in South Africa, the 1991 acid rain agreement and the introduction of the tax on products and services.
With The Canadian Press