Mulroney state funeral to be held March 23
Former prime minister Brian Mulroney will lie in state on Parliament Hill before a state funeral to be held in his home of Montreal, the federal government announced Tuesday.
In a statement, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office said the funeral will take place on March 23, after Mulroney’s casket is available for public viewing in Ottawa and Montreal.
“These events will give Canadians an opportunity to salute Mr. Mulroney’s contributions to public life and offer their condolences,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.
“More details will be provided in due course.”
Mulroney, who had been treated for prostate cancer last year, died after a fall in Palm Beach, Fla. His death was announced Feb. 29 by his daughter Caroline Mulroney, an Ontario cabinet minister.
Since then, friends and former political rivals alike have paid tribute to the former Progressive Conservative leader who governed from 1984 to 1993.
During two terms in office, he fought apartheid, brought Canada into a North American free trade pact, passed significant environmental protections, and tried repeatedly but unsuccessfully to win Quebec’s signature on the Canadian Constitution.
He befriended American politicians, championed the release of jailed South African apartheid opponent Nelson Mandela, and helped create the Francophonie.
State funerals are elaborate affairs where the remains of the prime minister lie in state to allow dignitaries and ordinary Canadians to pay respects.
They usually include sombre processions and church funerals, tailored to a family’s wishes.
A state funeral was held for past prime ministers Pierre Elliot Trudeau and John Turner, governors general Ramon Hnatyshyn and Roméo LeBlanc, and were offered by the governments of the day for “eminent Canadians” like former NDP leaders Jack Layton and Ed Broadbent, and former finance minister Jim Flaherty.
The Mulroney funeral is being organized by the federal heritage department and the former prime minister’s family.