Friends and admirers remember Brian Mulroney for momentous policies that changed Canada

From championing free trade to opposing racial apartheid in South Africa, former prime minister Brian Mulroney left a remarkable and indelible imprint on Canadian history.

Condolences have been pouring since news broke that the nation's 18th prime minister had died just shy of his 85th birthday. His daughter Caroline Mulroney shared the news Thursday afternoon on social media.

«He had the courage to do big things,» said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. «He shaped our past, but he shapes our present, and he will impact our future, as well.»

His friends and admirers spoke both of the late statesman's ambitious (and sometimes divisive) political agenda and the extraordinary personal connections he forged along the way.

«I'll never forget the insights he shared with me over the years — he was generous, tireless, and incredibly passionate,» said Trudeau.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Mulroney also shared «candid advice and generous mentorship» with him.

Poilievre praised Mulroney's economic policies and achievements, including one of his most consequential ones: brokering a free trade deal with the U.S.

«He unleashed free enterprise, crushed inflation, restored fiscal sanity and concluded one of the greatest free trade agreements the world has ever seen, which remains largely in place today,» said Poilievre.

«These changes gave thousands of working-class families the same opportunities he had, that is, the chance to work hard, buy a home and build their dreams.»

Poilievre cited Mulroney's passionate and personal campaign against South Africa's apartheid system and his efforts to rally Commonwealth nations against it.

Talking to reporters Thursday, Poilievre said a standout moment for him was when Mulroney compared his beloved