‘I hope he rests in peace’: Montrealers remember Marc Garneau, celebrate his legacy

More than an astronaut, a member of parliament, and a federal minister – Marc Garneau is being remembered as a good person who cared about his constituents and inspired many.

Garneau died Wednesday at the age of 76.

In NDG-Westmount, which Garneau represented in Ottawa for 15 years, his former constituents and acquaintances mourned his loss.

“I always wonder why the good people go first. But he was a great guy. And I hope he rests in peace,” said Adnrew Harris, an NDG resident and employee at Chez Nick, where Garneau often stopped to eat.

“When he retired, he came here. So we were friends. I got to know him a lot. He was a great guy.”

Harris proudly showed off a photo he took with Garneau in 2023.

“He just told me that I live in one of the best countries, which is Canada,” the bistro employee recounted. “And if I have a problem, I can call him and I can answer any question. He always was willing to listen. He was a great guy.”

Garneau’s wife Pam said he passed away peacefully surrounded by his family in a Montreal hospital.

Westmount resident Mark Smith coached Garneau’s sons in soccer for about four to five years.

“He was a great dad,” Smith said. “He would come and watch. He was very humble.”

Garneau was known as a down-to-earth man, even though he was the first Canadian to go into space in 1984 in the Challenger shuttle.

“I asked him about the ride to space and what was the most exhilarating part of it and got to ask him a lot of questions about it. He was always very kind in taking time,” Smith said.

“Extremely thoughtful and almost the perfect guy, which to be an astronaut, you got to be pretty well-rounded I think.”

Garneau then led the Canadian Space Agency as president after three trips into space.

“I grew up wanting to be like him,” said Joshua Kutryk, an astronaut with the CSA. “But then later in life, I ended up meeting him. I ended up being mentored by him. I ended up working at the agency. But interestingly, I would say the thing that didn’t change is I continued to want to be like him, not just as an astronaut, but I wanted to be like him because he always was and will always be just this perfect representation of the ideals of devotion and public service and belief in Canada.”

A minute of silence was observed in the House of Commons on Wednesday evening after members learned of Garneau’s passing.

“The news came really as a surprise yesterday to us in in parliament,” said Liberal MP Anna Gainey, who has represented NDG-Westmount since Garneau’s retirement in 2023. “I was with my colleagues and it sent a massive ripple and shock through our community.

“Marc was a really valued and respected and very well-liked colleague for so many years. And of course I’ve only been a member of parliament now for close to two years, but being Mark’s constituent and in fact for many years as riding association president, that goes back many years.”

Garneau served in NDG-Westmount from 2008 to 2023.

“It was a lot of conversations at the door in that byelection where people really conveyed to me as that new candidate, how much they really appreciated Marc’s service,” Gainey said.

Garneau was foreign affairs minister and transport minister in Justin Trudeau’s government. Trudeau on social media said he “truly embodied and exemplified Canadian greatness throughout his whole life.”

“We’re very proud of him, his accomplishments and for everything, but most importantly his legacy,” said Smith. “He was a really decent, kind, thoughtful man who took an interest in other people and there was a great guy, just a good person.”

On Thursday, flags at Westmount city hall flew at half mast in honour of Garneau and his contributions to the riding, and will remain that way until his funeral.