‘A man whose heart was filled with love for Quebec’
It was vintage Landry — from the music to the history to the now neglected idea that duty matters when it comes to the greater good or some noble cause. After a full week of tributes and nostalgia about the life of former premier Bernard Landry, several thousand people filled the pews of spectacular Notre-Dame Basilica Tuesday for a final farewell. At precisely 2 p.m., and to the tune of Les gens de mon pays by poet-songster Gilles Vigneault, a Sûreté du Québec honour guard carried Landry’s flag-draped casket up the middle aisle of the church while the mourners stood in silence. Outside, an additional crowd was gathered. It was Montreal Archbishop Christian Lépine who noted Landry, Quebec’s 28th premier, really was a man for all seasons, who had “adversaries in his life but no real enemies.”
Dignitaries of all political stripes gathered at Notre-Dame Basilica in Old Montreal Tuesday afternoon for the state funeral of former Parti Québécois premier Bernard Landry, who died last week at age 81. Here is what some of those attending had to say: Premier François Legault: “Mr. Landry was a statesman. He said it very often; for him, the interests of all Quebecers passed before his personal interests or the interests of his party. He knew the economy of Quebec better than anyone else. He knew it region by region, industry by industry (and) he knew about innovation.” Former Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe: “He’s someone who had a vision, conviction, passion and he put all that into action. He was dedicated to the economy. Not the economy for the economy’s sake, but the economy to change things, to make society better.” Former PQ leader Jean-François Lisée: “Bernard Landry was so instrumental in making Quebec’s economy modern, ambitious, bold because he was ambitious, he was bold. He was bolder than Quebecers at the time. Now, our economy is so uninhibited, bold even. Young (Quebec entrepreneurs) don’t know it, but they are on a wave that Bernard Landry helped create.” PQ MNA Véronique Hivon: “He is somebody who fought all his life for the Quebec nation up until the very end. On Oct. 1, he called us (PQ MNAs), he called me to tell me never to give up, the hope is still here, and he was just weeks from dying.” Abel Bosum, Grand Chief of the Cree nation: “When he was premier, he established a process, a new dialogue, a new round of negotiations and those negotiations led to an agreement — the Paix des Braves (resource development agreement). That agreement has been very important for us because it turned the relationship around. He played a big part at that time for us and so we’re here to pay our respects.” Ghislain Picard, Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador: “I think he really opened the doors in terms of the relationship between First Nations and the government of Quebec. Sadly, it wasn’t a long tenure for him as a premier, but enough to settle many issues with the Cree Nation (and) engage in conversations with our nations as well. The Paix des Braves was really appreciated from a First Nations point of view that we were able to set the stage for more agreements in the future.” Gérald Tremblay, former mayor of Montreal and former Liberal MNA: “Quebec is greatly appreciated throughout the world and I think (Landry) played an important role (in that). He was (also) one of the first premiers that recognized the importance of Montreal.” Former Montreal mayor Pierre Bourque: Landry wanted “to modernize Quebec — new technologies, new industries. He was also a true patriot and really dedicated to Quebec.”