Mauril Belanger, a veteran MP who publicly battled ALS, was remembered as a beloved parliamentarian among his peers and constituents at a funeral service in Ottawa Saturday morning.
Belanger, who represented Ottawa-Vanier for 21 years, died Aug. 15 at the age of 61.
Dozens of people stood outside the church, many of them constituents. Belanger’s flag-draped casket was removed from a hearse by an honour guard as the cathedral’s bells rang out.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wiped away tears after embracing Belanger’s widow Catherine inside the church.
“Mauril was a great friend, a true friend. He was a great parliamentarian who taught me and all of us so much about the importance of staying connected and in service of the folks who gave us their confidence and their trust to serve them well,” Trudeau told reporters moments earlier outside Notre-Dame Cathedral.
“All of us are less because Mauril is no longer challenging us and encouraging us.”
Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau said she canvassed with Belanger during the federal election campaign.
“He was adored by the people of his riding. He taught us great lessons of integrity and humility and grace."
During his eulogy, Trudeau said Belanger was a “brave and brilliant parliamentarian.”
The prime minister delivered most of his remarks in French. Belanger was a fierce defender of francophone language rights and culture.
Former governor general Michaëlle Jean, who also spoke mainly in French, said Belanger was an attentive listener to those who voted for him and those who didn’t. He had a “keen sense of the public interest and the shared values that define us,” she said.
Belanger was first elected in an Ottawa byelection in 1995 and won seven elections in all. He was described as a tireless campaigner, who never took for granted his support in what is considered one of the safest Liberal seats in the country.
Family members remembered Belanger as a loving brother, father and grandfather. Despite the horrific toll of the disease, he never once complained or felt sorry for himself, said his stepson Barclay Easton. He demonstrated that “hope is eternal” and “love can win,” Easton said.
Belanger learned he had the fatal neuromuscular disease, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, just weeks after his party’s sweep to power last fall. He was considered a leader to be named Speaker of the House of Commons but withdrew from contention after his diagnosis.
But he chose not to give up his seat, instead becoming a compelling figure in the House of Commons as the disease rapidly took its toll on his body.
Earlier this year, he became the first MP to use an assistive speech device in the House to convert his written words into a voice.
In a fitting tribute, Belanger's funeral ended with mourners singing a rousing, gender-neutral rendition of "O Canada."
He championed changing the national anthem from "in all our sons command" to "in all of us command."
The ailing MP was in the House of Commons in a wheelchair in June when his peers approved the measure and saluted him with a standing ovation. The bill has yet to be ratified by the Senate.
