Politicians, dignitaries and celebrities joined the public Saturday at a state funeral to honor Brian Mulroney, one of Canada’s most prominent prime ministers who strengthened trade ties with the United States and spoke out against apartheid in the 1980s of South Africa.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker as well as hockey great Wayne Gretzky were among those attending Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica. Mulroney, who died Feb. 29 at age 84, served as prime minister for nine years between 1984 and 1993 and led the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.
“It shaped our history. She got the important things right,” Trudeau told reporters outside the church before entering. “She had a huge impact.”
Mulroney’s legacy includes the North American Free Trade Agreement, signed between Canada, the United States and Mexico during his time as prime minister, his participation in the fight against South African apartheid, the 1991 acid rain agreement with the United States and the introduction of an unpopular sales tax that represents a significant amount of government revenue.
The funeral follows four days of public tributes in Montreal and Ottawa during which political dignitaries and members of the public filed past Mulroney’s coffin and paid their respects to his wife and four children.
“Every day of my life my father told me that I was the greatest daughter God put on this earth. Now we all know how much he loved hyperbole, but how lucky I am,” said Caroline Mulroney, his daughter, in her eulogy. “He gave me love, faith and strength… we are heartbroken by our loss. We loved him . I miss you dad.”
Mulroney had lifelong friendships with former US presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush and eulogized both at their funerals.
Reagan and Mulroney became friends as two national leaders during the final decade of the Cold War. Mulroney’s nine years in office overlapped with Bush’s four.
It was Mulroney’s friendly relationship with his Southern counterparts that helped develop a free trade treaty, a hotly contested pact at the time. The trade deal led to a permanent realignment of the Canadian economy and huge increases in North-South trade.
Mulroney was first elected in 1984 after winning the largest majority in Parliament in Canadian history, but left nearly a decade later with the lowest approval ratings in Canadian history. His Progressive Conservative Party suffered a devastating defeat soon after he left office. But in the years following the loss, prime ministers sought his advice.