Politicians and members of the public are paying their respects to former prime minister Brian Mulroney as he lies in state for two days in Ottawa.
Mulroney’s flag-draped casket was brought to the Sir John A. Macdonald building across from Parliament Hill Tuesday, ahead of his state funeral this weekend.
Mulroney died last month in Florida at 84 years old.
His wife Mila, and children Caroline, Ben, Mark and Nicholas greeted mourners, beginning with dignitaries. While Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Governor General Mary Simon offered their condolences to the family.
A day earlier, the Mulroneys listened from the gallery in the House of Commons, as parliamentarians of all political stripes honoured their husband and father.
MPs remembered the former Progressive Conservative leader as “one of the lions of Canadian politics.” He led the country from 1984 to 1993. During that time, Mulroney championed the fight against apartheid, combatted the environmental threat of acid raid, signed the North American Free Trade Agreement and introduced the GST.
The public can pay their respects in Ottawa between 12:30 and 6 pm Eastern time Tuesday, or 9 am to 1 pm Wednesday and sign a book of condolences. He is the first prime minister to lie in state in 24 years. The previous to receive this honour was Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
Mulroney’s casket will then make its way to his home province of Quebec Wednesday afternoon, where he will lie in repose at Montreal’s St. Patrick’s Basilica.
A state funeral is scheduled in the city for Saturday morning at Notre Dame Basilica, with eulogies from his daughter Ontario MPP Caroline Mulroney, former Quebec premier Jean Charest and hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.
On Monday, MPs offered tributes to Mulroney, Canada’s 18th prime minister.
“It is not just his booming baritone that will forever echo in this chamber, but his values and his leadership,” said Trudeau. “His principles helped shape this nation and the world for the better.”
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also honoured Mulroney in the House of Commons, celebrating his “down to earth spirit” that he said came from his small-town Quebec roots.
Mulroney’s sons thanked parliamentarians for their “touching” recollections.
“For us sitting up in the gallery and hearing everybody speak so positively, probably not what he was used to, but he would have loved it. And we did as well,” said Mark Mulroney, the late politician’s third-born child.
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