A state funeral can be held on Oct. 6 to honour former prime minister John Turner, who died on Sept. 19 on the age of 91.
An announcement from Canadian Heritage defined that there can be a church service at St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica in Toronto that can strictly comply with public well being protocols together with masks carrying, sanitizing and bodily distancing.
“The church service is by invitation solely. On the request of the household, there can be no public mendacity in state or mendacity in repose,” the assertion stated.
St. Michael’s can maintain as much as 1,600 folks however, due to the pandemic, solely a restricted variety of visitors can be invited and they’re being chosen by the previous prime minister’s household. The burial will happen in non-public, and no reception will comply with the church service.
The household has requested that as a substitute of flowers, donations be made to the World Wildlife Fund Canada and the Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Basis.
Canadians are invited to share their messages of sympathy within the online book of condolences.
State funerals are uncommon. In response to the federal authorities, solely 31 state funerals have been held in Canada since Confederation in 1867, together with 12 for prime ministers, seven for governors basic and eight for cupboard ministers.
Three different members of Parliament have been given state funerals: the assassinated Thomas D’Arcy McGee in 1868 and, extra not too long ago, NDP chief Jack Layton and former finance minister Jim Flaherty.
The federal government introduced the nationwide flags on the Peace Tower and all federal buildings and institutions in Canada will fly at half-mast to honour Turner’s reminiscence. Flags can be at half-mast till the sundown on the day of his funeral.
In contrast to Turner’s funeral, state funerals have typically included public processions within the streets of Ottawa and intervals of mendacity in state, normally in Parliament, to present a possibility for Canadians to pay remaining respects. The final state funeral for a Canadian prime minister was for Pierre Trudeau in 2000.