Brian Mulroney death: Quebec mourns one of its own ‘transformational’ leaders

Brian Mulroney, Canada’s 18th prime minister and one of the country’s consequential leaders, is being remembered by politicians of all stripes as “transformational” and as a “very sincere man who was honest and direct.”

Tributes came pouring in from across his home province of Quebec as the country learned about the death of Mulroney, who passed away peacefully and surrounded by family at the age of 84.

“We’re losing one of the greatest prime ministers in the history of Canada,” said former Quebec premier Jean Charest in an interview Thursday.

Mulroney was a mentor, friend and father figure to him. The “transformational” giant in Canadian politics “changed our country and our lives,” he added.

“I learned from Brian Mulroney how to lead,” Charest said. “And what I remember most about him is his extraordinary generosity.”

Quebec Premier François Legault noted Mulroney’s long list of accomplishments — among them being a “visionary” by heralding a free trade deal with the U.S. and Mexico by voicing his strong opposition to apartheid in South Africa.

Legault also remembered Mulroney as the “little guy from Baie-Comeau,” where he was born in March 1939. Mulroney’s childhood in the mostly francophone and isolated smelting town on the province’s north shore greatly shaped his political career and personhood.

“He was also a true ambassador who promoted Quebec and Canada throughout the world,” Legault said in a statement on social media. “My thoughts are with his family and loved ones.”

Mulroney first rose to prominence in Quebec after then premier Robert Bourassa appointed him in 1974 to the Cliche commission investigating union violence in the construction industry. His role would propel him to the front of Tory circles, and he stepped