Quebecers to pay respects to Brian Mulroney as public tribute moves to Montreal

Quebecers will get their chance to pay their respects to Brian Mulroney in his home province as the tributes to the former prime minister move to Montreal.

Quebecers will get their chance to pay their respects to Brian Mulroney in his home province as the tributes to the former prime minister move to Montreal.

Mulroney's casket will lie in repose at St. Patrick's Basilica today and Friday ahead of Saturday's state funeral.

Mulroney, who was prime minister for nine years between 1984 and 1993, died Feb. 29 at age 84.

He was born in Baie-Comeau, Que., and his Progressive Conservatives would later take the lion's share of the province's seats while winning back-to-back majorities in the 1984 and 1988 elections.

The former prime minister's casket left Ottawa on Wednesday, after two days of lying in state that included visits from Canada's prime minister, political dignitaries and members of the public.

A state funeral is set for Saturday at the Notre-Dame Basilica, with eulogies from Mulroney's daughter Caroline, Jean Charest and Wayne Gretzky.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2024.