Mayor, MP and MPP share memories of Brian Mulroney

The respective heads of all three levels of government serving Sault Ste. Marie each have memories of Brian Mulroney, who served as Canada's 18th prime minister and died Feb. 29 at the age of 84.

Mulroney led the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and served nearly nine years as prime minister between 1984 and 1993.

Ross Romano, Ontario PC member of provincial parliament, told SooToday on Friday that he had the opportunity to meet with Mulroney on a number of occasions.

"When you heard the stories, especially just listening to the tributes that were done in the house the day before yesterday, he such a national treasure," said Romano. "He just accomplished so much for our country and really was a global leader."

Romano said his thoughts are with Mulroney's family, especially his collegue at Queen's Park, Caroline Mulroney. She is the daughter of the former PM and currently serves as president of the Treasury Board of Ontario and Minister of Francophone Affairs.

"I had spoken with her sometime before [his death] and there were certainly some health challenges, so having a personal relationship with Caroline made it a little bit more challenging," said Romano.

Sheehan said he first met Mulroney in 2016 at a reception for then-vice president Joe Biden in Ottawa.

"He was very engaging and I enjoyed our conversation. He was also among a number of people that advised our government while we successfully renegotiated the new NAFTA after President Trump was elected," said Seehan of Mulroney. "My condolences to [Prime Minister] Mulroney's family and friends."

Shoemaker shared his remembrance of Mulroney on a Facebook post a few days ago.

“As a young kid interested in politics, I took a shot at reaching out to PM Mulroney by e-mail in my early 20s, expecting the chances of hearing back would be slim," said Shoemaker. "Out of the blue, my phone rings eight months later with a call from a 514 area code, which was unfamiliar to me. A ‘hello?’ from me was met with a deep booming ’Matt, this is Brian Mulroney calling’ on the other end."

"He spent the next 10 minutes answering my questions and giving me some of the most well-reasoned advice I’d ever received, and have ever received, about life in politics. He could not have been more generous with his time or advice," said Shoemaker.

Flags at the Ronald A. Irwin Civic Centre and at many other sites across the city are at half-staff out of respect for the former PM.

Romano said Mulroney knew how to captivate an audience.

"I remember listening to him once when he gave speech and it was an hour and a half speaking to our group. I just recall looking at the clock and thinking how did that go by? How was that only such a long period but it felt like minutes?" he said.

"He had a very very strong moral compass about helping people, contributing, being impactful and making a difference and he certainly did that in 84 years of his life and it's a real tragedy that that we lost him," added Romano.

Mulroney is remembered for being the leader to usher in new trade relations with the United States, first with the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and later the first version of the North American Free Trade Agreement. 

South Africa remembers him for helping champion an end to apartheid as a leader within the Commonwealth group of nations and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted Mulroney was the first western leader to recognize an independent Ukraine.

Shoemaker said Mulroney is rightly being remembered for his great achievements in his personal life, in politics, and in business. 

A state funeral ceremony for Mulroney will be held on March 23, 2024, in Montréal, Quebec. It will be preceded by a lying-in-state in Ottawa, Ontario, and a lying-in-repose in Montréal.

— with files from The Canadian Press