Dateline: 10/03/00
After five days of public mourning, the state funeral for former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was held in the magnificence of Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, Quebec.
Approximately 1700 guests attended, and a public area in the basilica held another 1000 mourners. Many thousands more gathered outside the basilica, much as they did at Maurice "Rocket" Richard's funeral there in May. A giant television screen was mounted outside the basilica to broadcast the ceremony to the crowds patiently standing behind barricades around the church.
Trudeau's sons Justin and Sacha, his ex-wife Margaret, daughter Sarah Coyne with her mother Deborah Coyne, and Trudeau's sister Suzette Trudeau-Rouleau sat in the front pew.
Among the dignitaries attending the funeral were Fidel Castro, former United States President Jimmy Carter, Konstantinos Stephanopoulos, President of Greece, Prince Andrew, His Highness Karim Aga Khan, and three surviving former prime ministers of Canada - Brian Mulroney, John Turner and Joe Clark. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and his wife Aline were there, as was Governor General Adrienne Clarkson and her husband John Ralston Saul. Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard also attended. There were rows and rows of faces familiar to Canadians, from former and current cabinet ministers to Leonard Cohen, poet and songwriter.
The archbishop of Montreal, Jean-Claude Cardinal Turcotte, led the 90-minute ceremony.
Close friend retired Senator Jacques Hébert spoke of Mr. Trudeau's dedication to the youth of Canada, a cause close to Mr. Hébert's own heart, and lawyer Roy Heenan, the founder of the law firm at which Mr. Trudeau worked, talked of Trudeau's warmth and compassion.
Trudeau's son Justin gave a moving and uplifting eulogy with rare glimpses into the private life of his father. He closed with the words "The woods are lovely, dark and deep. He has kept his promises and earned his sleep. Je t'aime, papa."
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