Seeing flags across the country flying at half mast to honour the life and legacy of former prime minister Brian Mulroney has been “one of the most beautiful things (the family) has seen,” his son Mark said.
“We actually just stopped in our tracks,” he added. “It says a lot about the country and how the country is also mourning. And we couldn't be more thankful for the outpour … but all the while, we know that this will be a difficult week, not just for us, but for a lot of other people.”
Mulroney — who served as Canada’s 18th prime minister from 1984 to 1993 — died Feb. 29 at the age of 84.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Mila, and their four children: Caroline, Ben, Mark and Nicholas.
Canada will honour the former prime minister this week, starting with a lying in state in Ottawa on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by a lying in repose in Montreal the following two days.
A state funeral will then be held on Saturday in Montreal.
Eulogies will be delivered by his daughter, Caroline Mulroney, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, former politician and CEO of Quebecor Pierre Karl Péladeau, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, former U.S. secretary of state James Baker, and former Quebec premier Jean Charest.
His son Mark Mulroney spoke with CTV’s Question Period host Vassy Kapelos, for an interview airing Sunday, to discuss his father’s legacy.
“We're thankful for people who take the time to come see us when we're going to be out in Ottawa, or Montreal, or even at the funeral, because this is all in the name of a wonderful man that many people knew in different ways, but we knew is an unbelievable father,” he said.
“I think I speak for my mom, my siblings, our entire family, when I say the outpouring of support has just been unbelievable, and to the thousands of Canadians who have reached out, who have taken a moment to write, even people from outside of the country, it's been truly one of the most beautiful things we've seen,” he also said. “And we thank everybody profusely.”
Since his passing, many have reflected on Mulroney's political legacy, including his work on a free trade agreement between Canada and the United States, his introduction of the GST, and his public denunciation of apartheid in South Africa.
Many have also recognized and celebrated in recent weeks his incredible gift to make people feel seen and heard.
“You know, as we see this outpouring, we hear the stories,” Mark said. “I think the number one thing we keep hearing is the phone calls my dad made when no one was listening; he regularly reached out to people in their darkest moment.”
“That's the beauty of everything that he brought to the table, but also what made him such a wonderful person and why we were also lucky to be around him while we were,” he added.
While being honoured for his impressive political career, Mulroney is also being remembered for being a loving and devoted family man.
“I would say that the key was that he wasn't always there, but he was always present, and when he was there, he was present,” said Mark, who now has five children of his own with his wife Vanessa. “We tried to work that way as well, because life can get busy, but the days are long and the years are short, so we have to make sure we make that effort. And my mom and dad always made an extreme effort to be there for us.”
Mulroney added that despite having lived at 24 Sussex from the age of four to 14, his parents tried to maintain a tight-knit family, and create as much normalcy for the children as possible.
“I can remember when we were kids, I would just pick up the phone and call my dad, but I now hear stories that I was interrupting cabinet meetings or G7 meetings,” he added. “So to that end, they never ever put their kids on the backburner, and they always made us feel special, I would say that’s the true legacy.”
Mulroney said his father’s other important legacy is his 16 beloved grandchildren.
You can watch Mulroney’s full interview with Kapelos in the player at the top of this article.
