The House of Commons observed a moment of silence on Monday in tribute to Cowboys Fringants singer Karl Tremblay, who died Wednesday at the age of 47 following a battle with prostate cancer.
The solemn moment which took place after question period allowed a rare truce in hostilities as elected officials resumed their work at the end of a week of parliamentary recess.
Earlier, in the afternoon, the Bloc Québécois – which claims to be the initiator of the moment of silence – and the Conservative Party reserved one of their declarations in the Commons for the singer.
“Quebec is experiencing an immense collective mourning,” summarized Caroline Desbiens, the MP for Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, while speaking.
This mourning is “charged with sadness, yes, but also with recognition and admiration,” she said, describing the singer as a unifier.
“Karl Tremblay sang our loves, our classy brushes, our collective and individual dreams, our joys and our sorrows. »
As MPs from all parties applauded, Speaker Greg Fergus said “he was truly one of the greats”.
” A giant “
The Conservative MP for Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, Joël Godin, spoke of a “giant” who “had a profound impact on us”.
“He not only offered captivating musical compositions, but also played an essential role in strengthening Quebec’s linguistic and cultural identity,” he mentioned.
Mr. Godin also indicated that he intends to submit the singer’s candidacy posthumously as grand officer of the Order of the Pléiade. The recognition awarded by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie aims to reward those who promote the French language.
Testimonies of love have been pouring in since the singer’s death, so much so that he will be entitled to a national funeral if his family agrees, the Prime Minister of Quebec, François Legault, announced last week.
The Cowboys Fringants have enjoyed enormous popularity in Quebec and Europe. The group won the Félix for best group of the year in 2003, 2004, 2011, 2020 and 2021, in part thanks to Karl Tremblay’s remarkable talent for rousing crowds.