RIP Canada's 18th Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney

[Aladora]

I know that we Canadians are a small group here on the DIS but I wanted to post that our 18th Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney, passed away today.

For many GenX Canadians like me, he was the Prime Minister for a good part of our formative years. He was in power from 1984-1993, for me that was from ages 12-21.

Growing up in Ottawa, I actually knew his family so even though some of his politics were not to my taste I am still a bit saddened by this news.

 

[SirDuff]

Oh, wow, that's too bad. Like you, I knew his family (went to summer camp with his kids) and didn't agree with all of his politics (though the first election I was old enough to vote in was after he had resigned) but saddened by the news.

 

[Disneylover99]

Yeah. I just heard the news and I feel sad about it too.
I know he had cancer last year. He really aged over the past few years.
He and Mila were a good looking couple back in the day.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Just heard this.

Isn’t Caroline in politics?

 

[Aladora]

Oh, wow, that's too bad. Like you, I knew his family (went to summer camp with his kids) and didn't agree with all of his politics (though the first election I was old enough to vote in was after he had resigned) but saddened by the news.

Did you ever meet his wife, Mila? She always impressed me as a very down to earth woman.

First time I met her was at my mother’s house. Brian’s personal photographer was a very close friend of ours and his (the photographer’s) wife was pregnant so we had her baby shower at our home. Mike arrived and the first thing she said was “well, Brian wanted to come but I told him that causes too much of a fuss wherever he goes, so I told him he had to stay home!”

 

[Aladora]

Just heard this.

Isn’t Caroline in politics?

She is. Can’t remember exactly what but yes she is.

 

[mommasita]

I got this alert on my phone, I was surprised a little. I’m not sure why time goes so quickly that I didn’t realize his age. I’ve met him on a , extremely nice man.

 

[SirDuff]

I got this alert on my phone, I was surprised a little. I’m not sure why time goes so quickly that I didn’t realize his age. I’ve met him on a , extremely nice man.

Oh, I forgot that I literally walked into him at YUL. I was coming up the stairs in the lounge and he gone up in the elevator and, with his Air Canada handler, was walking across the top of the staircase. I was putting away my boarding pass and not looking where I was going. He laughed it off. The AC handler was not happy with me though.

 

[SirDuff]

Did you ever meet his wife, Mila? She always impressed me as a very down to earth woman.

On parent's day, yes. She may have been down-to-earth but I remember thinking that a bigger deal was made of their entrance, security, and entourage than had been made for Trudeau (the Trudeau boys had also been at the camp - I think Justin was there for years including as staff, actually). But I was a kid and really don't remember the specifics on this thought.

 

[NAB]

Yes so sad saw it my phone too. Grow up too with him as Prime Minster.

Prayers for his family.

 

[Turn the Page]

Several years ago we went on a Canada and New England cruise. On the way back we had a bit of time between flights at the small airport in the river in Toronto and we were all hanging out in the terminal, just reading or whatever.

Suddenly a man sits down near us and we didn't think anything of it. My Dad finally tapped me and asked if I knew who it was. He wasn't sure but figured it was somebody because people kept coming up to shake his hand and thank him for everything he had done for the country. Turned out it was Brian Mulroney. No security detail or anything that we noticed. He was just sitting in the terminal like everyone else. You could NEVER get that close to an ex US president.

 

[Aladora]

I find it so interesting how so many of us have had personal contact with him and his family. We Canadians are pretty low key when it comes to things like our country’s leader!

I went to play at 24 Sussex once when Trudeau was in power, so it must have been around 1981 or 1982. The Trudeau boys were really nice from what I remember from so many years ago.

 

[starvenger]

She is. Can’t remember exactly what but yes she is.

MPP in Doug Ford's Ontario PC party.

 

[Aladora]

MPP in Doug Ford's Ontario PC party.

Thank you!

 

[CdnCarrie]

I find it so interesting how so many of us have had personal contact with him and his family. We Canadians are pretty low key when it comes to things like our country’s leader!

I went to play at 24 Sussex once when Trudeau was in power, so it must have been around 1981 or 1982. The Trudeau boys were really nice from what I remember from so many years ago.

Did you go you school with them? Or Matthew Perry?

 

[Aladora]

Did you go you school with them? Or Matthew Perry?

No, but my sister was very close to Matthew Perry when he lived in Ottawa and went to Ashbury. I knew the Trudeaus through a friend who lived near them and the Mulroneys through his photographer. Ottawa is a very small town in many ways.

 

[ronandannette]

Oh, wow, that's too bad. Like you, I knew his family (went to summer camp with his kids) and didn't agree with all of his politics (though the first election I was old enough to vote in was after he had resigned) but saddened by the news.

He won the first federal election I ever voted in - 1988. I was young and uninformed then; more heart than brain and I voted NDP.

 

[CdnCarrie]

He won the first federal election I ever voted in - 1988. I was young and uninformed then; more heart than brain and I voted NDP.

Nothing wrong with that. Ed Broadbent would have made a decent prime minister.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Condolences to all our Canadian friends here. God speed for the Prime Minister.

 

[ronandannette]

Nothing wrong with that. Ed Broadbent would have made a decent prime minister.

Those were the days. I recently heard an interview with Jagmeet Singh where he recounted several consultations he had with Ed before he died, and talking about the advice he had given him over the years. Doesn't seem like Jagmeet took much of it. If I can find it, I'll maybe post a link. I really enjoyed it.