A posthumous ceremony was held Thursday at the cathedral of Chicoutimi to pay tribute to the former Minister of Justice Marc-André Bédard.
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The PQ player died on November 25, 2020, but the health situation had forced the current government to delay this ceremony. François Legault had promised to hold a national commemoration for Marc-André Bédard.
Still in isolation due to his positive diagnosis of COVID-19, François Legault had prepared a video message. “Marc-André was a great Quebecer who left a deep legacy to the Quebec nation. He will remain in our memories as a giant. If Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean is a Kingdom, Marc-André is the prince and the nobility.”
Mr. Bédard had succumbed to complications related to the Covid. He was 85 years old.
“I believe that the entire Quebec nation is here to pay tribute to him,” said the minister responsible for Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Andrée Laforest, before entering the Cathedral of Chicoutimi.
The current Minister of Justice, Simon Jolin-Barrette, announced earlier that the Quebec Courthouse will become the Marc-André Bédard building. “A duty to remember this great statesman,” said the minister.
Mr. Bédard’s son, Stéphane, also a former PQ member for Chicoutimi, appreciated this attention on behalf of the whole family. “I think it shows the part he had for justice in Quebec,” he underlined, visibly moved, after the ceremony.
Several political figures including two former prime ministers wanted to attend this tribute.
“He has now joined in memory and in collective recognition, the valiant cohort of Lévesque, Parizeau, Laurin, Landry Payette and so many others whose hearts beat for Quebec. Farewell, Marc-André”, launched Lucien Bouchard who led the province between 1996 and 2001. The two men, lawyers, were great long-time friends.
The former premier of Quebec, Pauline Marois, also delivered a vibrant plea on the political career of the former deputy and minister for Chicoutimi. “He has advanced equality between men and women, among other things, he will advance the rights of homosexual people,” shared Ms. Marois.
Another tenor of the Parti Québécois during his years in power, Guy Chevrette, spoke of his friend as “a guy who fundamentally believed in the ability of Quebecers to take charge of themselves”.
Former Minister of Transport and Natural Resources Jacques Brassard insisted on calling him an “authentic patriot”.
Alexandre Cloutier mentioned for his part that “Mr. Bédard has always been an ideal”.
The current MP for Jonquière, Sylvain Gaudreault, mentioned that he was “a pioneer in the development of modern Quebec”.
The Cathedral of Chicoutimi had been chosen because he was the president of the Fabrique of this parish until his death.
The Bédard family was touched to be able to pay him an official tribute. His eldest son, Éric, gave a touching speech to the 200 people present. He concluded by recalling the values of his father, including that of “seeing the people of Quebec as a great people in the march towards ever greater freedom will not stop”.
Marc-André Bédard was entitled to an intimate funeral three weeks after his death. This national commemoration ended, all his relatives will be able to complete their mourning, 16 months after his departure.
Reference-www.tvanouvelles.ca