Brian Mulroney’s eldest daughter, Caroline, was the first to deliver a speech in tribute to her father before the crowd of dignitaries from across Canada.
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“In Baie-Comeau, hard work was a way of life. Despite limited means, my grandparents decided there would be no limit to what their son could accomplish. But it wasn’t all easy.”
“As his career as a lawyer took off, he met the love of his life. Her best advisor and partner for what mattered most to her, family and politics. In perfect harmony, they successfully combined these two passions together.”
Joël Lemay / QMI Agency
Caroline Mulroney testified to Brian Mulroney’s deep “loyalty” towards those close to him, a “deep respect that he always had towards Quebec” as well.
“I won’t surprise anyone by saying that he had Canada in his skin. But his conception of Canadian federalism was plural. The distinct character of Quebec was a source of unity for him, and despite the fact that his four children and 16 grandchildren live elsewhere, the idea never crossed his mind of leaving the province that saw him be born.”
Caroline Mulroney, President of the Ontario Treasury Board and Minister of Francophone Affairs, shared how her late father advised her.
“Life is short,” he often told me, “but our legacy endures. His words were invaluable to me, particularly when I was entrusted with the Francophone Affairs file within the Ontario government.”