Mulroney mourning events start on Tuesday

Canadians wishing to pay respects to former prime minister Brian Mulroney may do so when a four-day period of public mourning begins next week, starting in the nation’s capital before moving to Quebec.

Amid ongoing security concerns about how protests around the war in Gaza are affecting public events, the federal government has scheduled two days for Mulroney’s lying in state in Ottawa, beginning Tuesday.

His casket will then be taken to Montreal, where another two days has been set aside, starting March 21, for Mulroney’s lying in repose — the name given when the solemn formal event takes place outside of Ottawa.

Mulroney’s state funeral will take place March 23 at the majestic Notre-Dame Basilica in old Montreal.

Parliament is currently adjourned and scheduled to resume on Monday, when MPs and party leaders are expected to deliver formal tributes.

The former Progressive Conservative party leader, who was treated for prostate cancer last year, died on Feb. 29 after a fall in Palm Beach, Fla., where he and his wife Mila had a vacation home.

His death occurred just before the start of a two-week constituency break, and so only brief tributes were offered on the morning after the news broke.

Further details about the state funeral, expected guests and speakers will be disclosed by the federal Heritage Department on Friday. Those details have been worked out with the family.

In Pickering, Premier Doug Ford said he and his Progressive Conservative caucus are working to ensure MPPs are able to attend the lying in state next week, even though the legislature is sitting at Queen’s Park.

Mulroney’s eldest child, Caroline, is Ford’s Treasury Board president and a key cabinet minister.

“We’re going to work that out through our chair of caucus,” the premier said Wednesday, adding he will be at Mulroney’s funeral in Montreal.

“I’m going to be attending, our finance minister (Peter Bethlenfalvy) is going to be attending,” he said. “Our heart goes out to Caroline and the Mulroney family. He was a tremendous leader.”