Herb Belcourt remembered as ‘wonderful man, philanthropist, mentor’

A pillar in Alberta’s Métis community was laid to rest Saturday.

Herb Belcourt passed away on July 5, after a battle with Stage 4 cancer. He died just one day before his 86th birthday.

“It’s definitely a bittersweet day,” said Aaron Barner, senior executive officer of the Métis Nation of Alberta. “We’re here to celebrate the life of Dr. Herb Belcourt, an awesome man, a wonderful man, a philanthropist, an entrepreneur.”

READ MORE: Herb Belcourt, Métis entrepreneur and philanthropist, passes away 

There was standing room only at Festival Place in Sherwood Park on Saturday morning as family and friends gathered to honour Belcourt.

“He’s left his mark on the Métis Nation,” Barner said. “I’m just so happy I actually got to know Herb. Everybody in the Métis community knows who Herb Belcourt is but I was one of the few who were lucky enough to actually get to know Herb and become friends with Herb.

“Herb was my mentor and Herb Belcourt will always be my mentor,” Barner added.

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“The Belcourt Brosseau Métis Award — the endowment that he helped establish — is going to continue to grow and support Métis post-secondary students forever.”

Belcourt founded several businesses. He also co-founded the Belcourt Brosseau Métis Award, a $13-million endowment that has so far given $6 million to more than 1,000 Métis students to continue their education.

WATCH: Herb Belcourt receives Aboriginal Lifetime Achievement Award

In May, a park was named in his honour in Sherwood Park.

In January of this year, he was inducted into the Alberta Business Hall of Fame. He also received the 2017 Aboriginal Business Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award and was the first Métis person to be given that honour.

“I was in very close contact with him a lot,” Tony Belcourt said. “We were close. I spoke to him a couple of days before he passed on. It was pretty sad to hear his voice at the time and how he was suffering. So it’s going to be good that he be on his spirit journey after he’s laid to rest.”

“Herb could charm a lot of people because he had natural charm. There was nothing phoney about it. He was just a very nice man, and genuine. A very genuine soul and people could see that.”

In 2010, Belcourt was awarded the Order of Canada for his work to improve the lives of Métis people in Alberta.