‘A humanitarian’: Montrealers say final goodbye to Brian Mulroney

An authentic and genuine politician who stood up for what’s right and made Canada a better place.

That’s how Montrealers who gathered outside Brian Mulroney’s state funeral remembered the country’s 18th prime minister, who died last month at age 84.

“His big claim to fame was when he stuck up against both England and America for getting rid of apartheid in South Africa,” Paul Eckelsall told CityNews. “Full marks of the guy, he was a humanitarian.”

“It seemed like he was somebody who really tried to work hard, not to look good, but just because it was the right thing to do and he really wanted to do that,” added Frank Anthony.

READ: Brian Mulroney remembered by friends, family in Montreal

They were among many mourners gathered at the edge of the security barrier surrounding Notre-Dame Basilica Saturday morning. Members of the general public were not allowed in the public square in front of the church.

“He just seemed very authentic and very genuine and you can’t really say that about a lot of politicians I find,” Alexandra said.

“He was a really amazing Canadian,” Samantha added. “He represented us well and he’s definitely a loss for the country, so my prayers and respect go to the family.”

The day’s elaborate farewell began at nearby St. Patrick’s Basilica, where family members gathered around to escort Mulroney’s funeral procession through the streets of Montreal.

Minutes later, a solitary drumbeat heralded their arrival at Notre-Dame, already teeming with friends, business associates and a significant portion of the country’s political elite from the present day and the last half-century.

MORE: ‘The country he helped build’: Quotes from Brian Mulroney state funeral

Many from across Canada set aside their views to reflect on Mulroney’s legacy.

“You can honour a man no matter what your political view is and I think that he should be honoured for his contribution to making Canadians stand out,” Martin Dansky said.

Added Pamela Shaver: “He was really important in Canadian history, Canadian politics. I think there were a lot of things that he did that were very important in bringing Canada to the stage.”

One person outside Notre-Dame Basilica on Saturday was a former colleague of Mulroney’s, who said the two were in contact earlier this year.

“I had the privilege of knowing him and his family and I was just with him a couple of months ago actually, and he hasn’t lost that Baie-Comeau touch,” said Jim Regan.

Regan described Mulroney as someone others could look up to.

“The constitutional issues that he strove for, the economic platforms, the relationships that he developed with people were also very positive,” he said. “In an era where we’re dealing with anger and hate and animosity, it’s all encouraging to have witnessed.

“It’s always nice to see someone that’s risen to certain levels in their career to maintain their humility. So I think it’s a great loss for Canada and it’s a sad day.”

–With files from The Canadian Press