Large crowd is expected for memorial
Prime minister, mayor will be among thousands of mourners at service in Mississauga for Barry and Honey Sherman
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be one of thousands of mourners expected to attend Barry and Honey Sherman’s memorial service Thursday at the International Centre in Mississauga.
The funeral will start at 11a.m. at the International Centre, which typically hosts large trade shows, conferences and concerts including Radiohead in 1997 and Debbie Harry in 2005.
About 7,000 to 10,000 people are expected to attend the memorial, said Amita Singer, an event manager at the centre. Mayor John Tory and Ontario Health Minister Eric Hoskins and his wife Samantha Nutt are scheduled to attend.
The funeral will be held at Hall 5, which typically holds about 7,000 people, but more space will be available if needed, Singer said.
“We will be able to accommodate anyone extra if needed,” she said. “We will have parking and police attendance on site to help people coming on and off the property.”
Barry, 75, and Honey, 70, were found dead in their home Friday. Their bodies were discovered by their real estate agent, who had been helping the couple sell their home, a police source said.
Sherman, the founder of generic drug giant Apotex, was one of the richest men in the country, with an estimated net worth of $4.7 billion. He built Apotex from a two-employee company in Toronto into a global pharmaceutical organization that employs more than 11,000 people around the world.
Marc Benjamin, a manager at the Benjamin’s Park Memorial Chapel which is facilitating the service, said it’s the first time they will hold a funeral at the centre. It was chosen for its size, availability and parking, he said. In 2008, the centre hosted a memorial service for victims of terrorism in India. In1979, thousands of people were evacuated to the centre after a train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in Mississauga.
The family will have a private burial for the deceased after the service, he said.
“Speeches will be made by family, dignitaries and friends at the memorial service,” said Naomi Parness, a manager at the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, a Jewish community organization helping with the memorial.
Nearly 300 messages of love and support filled the online memorial book for the couple, including messages about their “kind souls” and “incredible legacy.”