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The greatest Canadian of the 20th Century... |
Never did I imagine that I could be moved to tears at the death of a politician. But I cried when I heard he had died, I cried as I watched the people lining up by the thousands to pay their final respects on Parliament Hill, and I cried as I watched his funeral...
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Because I find it difficult to write about the man without over using superlatives I have chosen instead to use the words of others. The following are from the many tributes paid to him at the time of his death...
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"He was a giant in modern Canadian political history. He won't be equaled in our time ... and for a long time to come." (Deputy Prime Minister Herb Gray) |
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"He was a giant of a man, who had an extraordinary effect on the country. He set a standard by which others who follow him will be judged for a long time. He was an activist, he tried to change things ..." ( Former Prime Minister Joe Clark) "We will remember him as a vibrant and charismatic man who applied his talents to further Canada and later, other countries in the Western Hemisphere." (Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter) |
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"Pierre Trudeau was an historic figure who will never be forgotten. His love for our country was never in question. He was a man of principle with a clear vision for Canada that he pursued with single-minded determination.
As Prime Minister, he practised politics with a distinct flair. His
charisma and his passion moved an entire generation of Canadians and
awakened in many young people an excitement for politics and a
commitment to build a better future for Canada. That legacy continues to
endure." (Former Ontario Premier Mike Harris) |
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For me one of the most touching tributes paid to Trudeau at the time of his passing was that Fidel Castro honoured Trudeau's memory by personally attending his funeral. The following is part of the text of a statement released by Fidel Castro on the state funeral of Pierre Trudeau..... |
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"I have come to Canada, in time of deep grief for the Canadian people, to pay tribute to the undying memory of Pierre Trudeau, a world class statesman who was a close personal friend and one for whom I felt great admiration. I always considered him a serious political leader, sincerely interested in the world problems and the situation in the Third World countries as well as a consistent politician who made a transcendental contribution to the modern history of Canada. He was an upright and brave man who, regardless of difficult circumstances, fostered his country's relations with Cuba." |
As a nation at times we hated him, at other times we loved him, but we were never indifferent to him. He made us all aware of how wonderful it is to be Canadian. |
"For those of us who were there when Pierre Trudeau was prime minister it was the magic of the man that is etched and cherished in the mind's eye. We embraced his diamond-sharp intellect, his irreverence, and the style of his leadership and life. |
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The following are a few famous (or infamous) quotes, some of which link to the Real Audio sound clips from the CBC website... [ To hear the sound clips you need RealPlayer. If you don't have it you can get it here ]. |
[ Listen ]
"The state has no place in the bedrooms of the nation."
"I will use all my strength to bring about a just society to a
nation living in a tough world."
[ Listen ]
"I am speaking to you at a moment of grave crisis..."
[ Listen ]
"Living next to you is in some ways like sleeping with an
elephant: No matter how friendly and even-tempered the
beast, one is affected by every twitch and grunt."
[ Listen ]
"Yes, well there are a lot of bleeding hearts around who just
don't like to see people with helmets and guns. All I can say is,
go on and bleed. But it is more important to keep law and order
in the society than to worry about weak-kneed people who don't
like the looks of ....."
[ Listen ]
"Fuddle duddle."
"I believe that Canada cannot, indeed that Canada must not survive
by force. The country will only remain united – it should only
remain united – if its citizens want to live together in one civil
society."
"The French won't take us over and neither will the
Pope, although he's not the menace he used to be."
"Sometimes I wish we had never described the official
languages policy as `bilingualism' – because the word
apparently implied that our intent is for all Canadians to learn
two languages. Such is not our intent at all."
"We peer so suspiciously at each other that we cannot see
that we Canadians are standing on a mountaintop of human
wealth, freedom and privilege."
[ Listen ]
"I walked until midnight in the storm, then I went home and
took a sauna for an hour and a half. It was all clear. I listened
to my heart and saw if there were any signs of my destiny in the
sky, and there were none – there were just snowflakes."
[ Listen ]
"Let's go first class... the whole bag." |
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For more information about his life, his many accomplishments, his family and his place in history the two links below are a great place to start:
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